The times are a-changing –
April 4, 2019 – Today the 29-year-old office administrator is a candidate for Allegheny County Council, doing the door-knocking, hand-shaking work of someone seeking local office in the Pittsburgh area. At a gathering of Democrats at the Warehouse Pub & Grub, she flashes a bright white smile and wears a blue blazer, jeans, and sleek black running shoes. “A lot of people give me shit because I wear sneakers on the campaign trail,” she tells a candidate for school board, as they commiserate about the endless miles walked. “What do they want me to wear?”
Several people congratulate her on a recent victory of sorts: The county Democratic committee voted on endorsements, and while the party insiders picked her opponent—who has held the seat for 20 years—Hallam got 44 percent of committee members’ votes, a strong showing for a first-time candidate running against an entrenched incumbent. She feels good.
