Coghill’s chief of staff resigns after supporting Benham
Just days after her boss defended the Allegheny County Democratic Committee endorsement process, Moira Kaleida resigned as city Councilman Anthony Coghill’s chief of staff.
Ms. Kaleida confirmed her resignation Friday to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Earlier in the day Ms. Kaleida published a tweet declaring her support for progressive activist Jess Benham in the race for Pennsylvania’s 36th House District, which will be vacant once incumbent Rep. Harry Readshaw retires at the end of the session.
“She [Ms. Benham] is the true leadership and change that we need in the south hills and a champion for worker, student, and disability rights in the region. When they go low, we go high,” Ms. Kaleida wrote.
The Allegheny County Democratic Committee on Sunday endorsed candidate Heather Kass over Ms. Benham in a 49-19 vote, despite criticism from committee members and elected officials over the candidate’s social media history.
Ms. Kass’ past posts have included support for then-candidate Donald Trump prior to the 2016 election as well as derogatory posts about those afflicted with addiction and people who use Obamacare insurance.
By Wednesday, committee Chairwoman Eileen Kelly was in front of a mic at a news conference, defending the committee endorsement process — with Mr. Coghill, committee chair for the 19th Ward and councilman for the city’s 4th District, by her side.
Large swaths of the state’s 36th Legislative District and the
city’s 19th Ward overlap.
At the news conference, Mr. Coghill said he believes “Jessica Benham lost that endorsement all on her own” because committee members saw her “guilt by association” with other progressives — including state Rep. Summer Lee — who want to ban fracking.
When asked by reporters, Mr. Coghill said he doesn’t actively support Ms. Kass.
The committee also endorsed North Braddock Councilman Chris Roland over Ms. Lee for the 34th Legislative District race. Despite Ms. Kelly’s defense of the endorsement process, on Wednesday she criticized Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald for not backing Ms. Lee.
Ms. Kaleida, of Beechview, declined to comment further on her resignation. She previously held elected office from 2015 to 2019 as a school board director for Pittsburgh Public Schools’ 6th District.
Mr. Coghill said by phone that Ms. Kaleida is “super talented” and that “wherever she goes and whatever she decides to do, I wish her all the best.”
Mr. Coghill on Friday also took to social media to defend himself for being part of the news conference in which Mr. Fitzgerald was criticized.