Pennsylvania United is a left-of-center advocacy organization that promotes Democratic candidates and left-of-center policies at the state, local, and national levels in western Pennsylvania. The group’s explicitly stated goal is to elect Democratic candidates throughout the state, noting that it led a canvassing program to “unelect Trump” in 2020 and campaigned to elect then-Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro (D) to the governorship and flip control of the state House of Representatives to Democrats in 2022. At the local level, the group has worked to elect Democrats (and Democratic-aligned candidates in non-partisan races) to county, city, and township positions in western Pennsylvania and has pushed for left-of-center housing, economic, and social policies in such localities. ¹

Through its affiliated political action committee, Pennsylvania United has been funded by left-of-center groups including Working Families Party and the Sixteen Thirty Fund. ²

Background

Pennsylvania United was formed in 2018 and began recruiting candidates for local office in 2019. Since 2019, the group states that it has ran 31 “movement candidates” for office across western Pennsylvania with many such candidates running for council seats in small towns. ³

Activities

At the national and statewide level, the group explicitly states that its goal is to elect Democratic candidates throughout the state, noting that it led a canvassing program to “unelect Trump” in 2020 and campaigned to elect then-Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro (D) to the governorship and flip control of the state House of Representatives to Democrats in 2022. ³

The group operates local chapters covering specific counites or regions, which include Allegheny County United, Beaver County United, Central PA United, Crawford County United, Erie County United, and Voice of Westmoreland. ⁴

One such example given on the group’s website was the City of Meadville where the group’s endorsed cnadidates won a majority on the city council and pushed the group to enact left-of-center local policies including “a rental inspection program to ensure safe housing,” an “environmental advisory committee,” a “municipal Emergency Medical Service program,” and an “anti-retaliation ordinance that protects renters when they speak up for their rights.” ³

The group has also advocated for the defunding of police departments. The group stated that “After identifying police brutality and child poverty as core issues, Erie County United got the City of Erie to divest $1 million from the police budget and allocate $4.3 million to Roger Young Park and youth programs.” The group also pushed the Erie City Council to pass a “Ceasefire Resolution to call for a ceasefire in Gaza.” ³

The group promoted the election of U.S. Rep Summer Lee (D-PA) and County Executive Sara Innamorato (D). The groups chapter there has started a Clean Rivers Campaign that promoted a “‘green-first, green-preferred’ plan for the region’s largest-ever public works program,” and a worker organizing campaign advocating for higher pay for University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) and Giant Eagle employees. The group also challenged the nonprofit status of UPMC and urged the Mayor of Pittsburgh to launch an investigation into UPMC’s non-profit status. ¹

Political Action Committee (PAC)

Pennsylvania United operates a political action committee called PA United PAC that funds Democratic campaigns throughout the state. The PAC has been funded by the Working Families Party National PAC, the Sixteen Thirty Fund, and the Pennsylvania House Democratic Campaign Committee. ²

1. “Our Story.” Pennsylvania United.” Accessed October 25, 2024. https://paunited.org/our-story/
2. “PA United PAC.” Transparency USA. Accessed October 25, 2024. https://www.transparencyusa.org/pa/committee/pa-united-pac-pac-20190054/contributors
3. “Co-Govern.” Pennsylvania United.” Accessed October 25, 2024. https://paunited.org/cogovern/
4. “Members.” Pennsylvania United.” Accessed October 25, 2024. https://paunited.org/members/