The 2026 United States General Election will take place on Nov. 3, with several key races in Pennsylvania for Northsiders to cast their votes.
Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., though anyone in line by 8 p.m. can still vote. Anyone needing to find their polling location can do so either by calling the Pennsylvania Department of States at (1-877) 868-3772, emailing them at [email protected], or visiting the website pavoterservies. pa.gov and clicking the “Find Your Polling Place” option.
This is a mid-term election. The next presidential election year is 2028.
The Northside is covered by the Pittsburgh voting wards 21-27. In general, Northsiders’ ballots will largely look the same regardless of the voting ward. The only difference is the Representative in the General Assembly vote, which has three variations depending on the ward.
Here is a summary of this year’s ballot:
Governor and Lieutenant Governor
Democratic incumbent Josh Shapiro is seeking a second four-year term as Pennsylvania’s governor. If re-elected, Shapiro will be term-limited from running again. He is joined on the ballot by his lieutenant governor, Austin Davis.
Challenging Shapiro and Davis are, in order of governor and lieutenant governor, Republican candidates Stacy Garrity and Jason Richey, and Libertarian candidates Ken Krawchuk and John Thomas.
Representative in Congress
Rep. Summer Lee is seeking a third term as the Representative in Congress for the 12th district, for which all of the Northside is included.
Lee is a Democratic politician and was first elected in 2022 after she replaced retiring Democratic incumbent Mike Doyle. Doyle was the representative for Pennsylvania’s 18th congressional district, which was largely replaced by the 12th district after the 2020 census.
Challenging Lee is Republican candidate James Hayes. The elected candidate will serve a twoyear term, next facing election in 2028.
Senator in the General Assembly
Democratic incumbent Sen. Wayne Fontana is seeking a seventh term as the senator representing the 42nd district in the Pennsylvania General Assembly.
Fontana was first elected in 2005 to fill out the remaining term of Senator Jack Wagner, who resigned from his seat. Fontana subsequently won re-election in 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022.
No other candidates are on the ballot for the election, though there is an option for write-in candidates.
The elected candidate will serve a four-year term, next coming up for election in 2030.
Representative in the General Assembly
This is the only race in which Northsiders may see a difference depending on the district. This guide divides this particular entry into three sub-categories.
19th District
Northsiders in wards 21, 22, 25 and 26 will vote for the 19th District’s representative.
The position is currently held by Democratic candidate Aerion Abney, who was first elected in a 2022 special election to replace Rep. Jake Wheatley, who had resigned to become then-Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey’s chief of staff. Abney subsequently won re-election in the 2022 regular election, and in 2024.
Abney is running unopposed on this year’s ballot, save for any write-in candidates. If re-elected, he will serve a two-year term and will next face election in 2028.
20th District
Northsiders in ward 27 will vote for the 20th District’s representative.
Democratic incumbent Emily Kinkead is seeking a fourth term in the position, having first been elected in 2020. Kinkead ran against and defeated the then-incumbent, Adam Ravenstahl, in the primary election and then ran unopposed in the general election.
Unlike the other General Assembly representative races on the Northside this year, the race for the 20th district is opposed. Facing Kinkead is Republican candidate Joseph Aguglia.
The winner of the election will serve a two-year term and next face election in 2028.
21st District
Northsiders in wards 23 and 24 will vote for the 21st District’s representative.
The position is currently held by Democratic candidate Lindsay Powell, who was first elected in a 2023 special election to replace Sara Innamorato, who had resigned to campaign for Allegheny County Executive. Powell subsequently won re-election in 2024 unopposed.
Powell is running unopposed on this year’s ballot, save for any write-in candidates. If re-elected, she will serve a two-year term and will next face election in 2028.
Special Election Question
In addition to the races for government positions, there is also an amendment to the county’s Home Rule Charter on the ballot this year.
Voters will be asked whether Article III, Subsection 7(c) of Allegheny County’s Home Rule Charter be repealed “in order to remove restrictions on County Council members’ ability to receive County funding for personal staff, district offices, and fringe benefits,” as the ballot question reads.
The section of the Home Rule Charter the question is seeking to repeal reads as follows: “County Council Members shall not be entitled to receive any County funding for personal staff, local district offices, or fringe benefits including, but not limited to, health and life insurance, pensions and personal motor vehicles.”
