Updated May 22, 2024 at 2:31 PM.
In a long-overdue moment for Allegheny County, Jordan Botta has been appointed to represent District 13 on Allegheny County Council, becoming the first openly LGBTQ+ person to hold a seat on the 15-member legislative body.
Botta’s appointment on Wednesday fills a vacancy left by former Councilmember David Bonaroti, who resigned in April. A proud Pittsburgh native and longtime LGBTQ+ advocate, Botta steps into this new role with a vision shaped by years of community organizing, policy advocacy, and a deep connection to the neighborhoods he now represents.
“It’s an honor,” Botta said at the council meeting. “I hope this opens the door for many [LGBTQ] candidates in the future.”
Botta, 34, is a fifth-generation Pittsburgher whose 2023 campaign for Pittsburgh City Council highlighted his passion for responsive, equitable governance. He ran in City Council District 7, a vibrant area he proudly described as the city’s “most LGBTQIA+ district,” home to iconic queer spaces like Blue Moon and P Town.
Though he didn’t win that race, his campaign became a platform for visibility and grassroots coalition-building. Now, as the newly appointed councilmember for County Council District 13, which includes parts of Lawrenceville, Bloomfield, the North Side, and Bellevue, he brings that same ethos to the county level.
His professional background is steeped in LGBTQ+ advocacy. Botta is currently the executive director of the Three Rivers Business Alliance, a chamber of commerce supporting LGBTQIA+ business owners and professionals in Western Pennsylvania. He also previously served as vice chair of Proud Haven, which supports LGBTQ youth experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity.
Botta has made clear that his agenda centers on the same values he’s long championed: affordable housing, economic justice, and government transparency. These aren’t just political talking points, they’re lived priorities for many in Pittsburgh’s LGBTQ+ community, particularly trans folks, BIPOC queer people, and working-class residents.
“My first priority is to figure out the policy agendas that I have outlined and do the best job for the people that I possibly can,” Botta said. “If I’m here for a couple of months or the remainder of the term, that’s always going to be my priority: to ensure that we have good representation.”
While it’s not yet certain whether Botta will receive the Democratic nomination from the Allegheny County Democratic Committee for the fall general election to finish out the remainder of Bonaroti’s term, his presence on County Council already marks a milestone. He represents not just District 13, but the powerful possibilities of queer political leadership in Western PA.
