CORAOPOLIS, Pa. — Political newcomer Brittany Bloam has won the Democratic Primary in the race for PA’s 45th District Representative to the State Assembly.
Bloam defeated longtime Allegheny County Councilman Pat Catena. Catena has been on the council for a decade and serves as its president.
Catena conceded the race to Bloam before 10 p.m., Tuesday.
Bloam did not have the backing of the county party committee but did receive an endorsement from incumbent Anita Kulik.
Channel 11 spoke to Bloam shortly after that concession call.
She thanked her campaign volunteers, calling this a “grassroots effort.” Bloam told Channel 11 she knocked on more than 10,000 doors.
“A big reason I got into this race is because I think that our kids and our communities deserve better and I think that people are kind of tired of inflammatory rhetoric. I really hope that we can all be more civil and talk to people we might agree with and just move forward and try to make things better for everyone,” Bloam said.
The campaign was thrust into the spotlight in the last week or so after a mailer on behalf of Catena claimed that Bloam was supported by an “extreme left group that advocates for transgender athletes in our sports.”
The county party committee and Bloam denounced the mailer. Catena later apologized for it.
Bloam will face Republican James Julius in November.
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