{{Short description|American politician}} {{About|the Pennsylvania politician|the Australian politician|Dominic Costa}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}} {{Infobox officeholder | image = | name = Dom Costa | state_house = Pennsylvania | district = 21st | term_start = January 6, 2009<ref>{{cite web |title = SESSION OF 2009 – 193D OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY – No. 1 |work = Legislative Journal| publisher = Pennsylvania House of Representatives |date = 2009-01-06|url =http://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/HJ/2009/0/20090106.pdf}}</ref> | term_end = December 31st, 2018 | predecessor = Elisabeth Bennington | successor = Sara Innamorato | birth_date = {{birth year and age|1951}} | birth_place = Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | party = Democratic | occupation = Pennsylvania House of Representatives | children = | website = | module = {{Infobox police officer |name = Dom Costa |embed = yes |image = |caption = |birth_date = |birth_place = |nickname = |badge_number = |department = Pittsburgh Police |service_years = 1979 – September 28, 2006 (Pittsburgh Police Department) |rank = 15px – Pittsburgh Police Chief<br /> January 2, 2006 – September 28, 2006 |awards = |other_work = }} }} '''Dominic J. Costa''' (born 1951) is a Democratic politician. He was a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/BiosHistory/MemBio.cfm?ID=1164&body=H|title=DOMINIC J. COSTA|website=The official website for the Pennsylvania General Assembly.|accessdate=Apr 16, 2021}}</ref> and was the Chief of the Pittsburgh Police in 2006, and was a 27-year veteran of the force. He is a member of the Costa political family in Pittsburgh.
== Career ==
=== Law enforcement === He began his police career in suburban East McKeesport in 1977 and in 1979 became an officer with Pittsburgh. In 1981 he became a negotiator with the force eventually being promoted to Commander. He was injured by a shooter in a February 2002 standoff in the Homewood neighborhood, and briefly retired from the force. From January 2, 2006 – September 28, 2006 he was Pittsburgh Police Chief appointed by Pittsburgh mayor Bob O'Connor. He retired again from the PBP after then Mayor Luke Ravenstahl's administration took over City Hall and for a time became the Police Chief of suburban Penn Hills before going into elected office as a State representative.
=== Politics === Costa was first elected in 2008, receiving 78% of the vote. He defeated Dan Mahon and Jonah Yon McAllister-Erickson. Costa ran unopposed through 2016.<ref>{{cite web|last1=EL|title=Dom Costa|url=https://ballotpedia.org/Dominic_Costa|website=Ballotpedia|accessdate=13 April 2017}}</ref> However, in the 2018 Democratic Primary election, Costa faced a challenge from Democratic Socialists of America-endorsed member Sara Innamorato.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://wesa.fm/post/young-pittsburgh-progressives-challenge-traditional-democrats|title=Young Pittsburgh Progressives Challenge Traditional Democrats|last=Potter|first=Chris|access-date=2018-05-16|language=en}}</ref> In the election, Costa lost to Innamorato, who ran unopposed in the general election.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/05/15/us/elections/results-pennsylvania-primary-elections.html|title=Pennsylvania Primary Election Results|last=Almukhtar|first=Sarah|date=2018-05-15|work=The New York Times|access-date=2018-05-16|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Costa also failed to secure the Republican nomination in a last-minute write-in campaign.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.post-gazette.com/news/politics-local/2018/05/09/Dom-Costa-pittsburg-pa-house-campaign-GOP-write-in-votes-sara-innamorato/stories/201805090257,%20http://www.post-gazette.com/news/politics-local/2018/05/09/Dom-Costa-pittsburg-pa-house-campaign-GOP-write-in-votes-sara-innamorato/stories/201805090257|title=Dom Costa, locked in tight race, mounts campaign for GOP write-in votes|last=Smeltz|first=Adam|date=2018-05-09|work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|access-date=2018-05-16|language=en-US|issn=1068-624X}}</ref>
==Education== He graduated from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania criminal justice training center.
==See also== {{Portal|Biography}} * Allegheny County Police Department * Pittsburgh Police {{Clear}}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{CongLinks |votesmart=102494}} *[http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/member_information/house_bio.cfm?id=1164 Pennsylvania House of Representatives – Dom Costa (Democrat)] '''official PA House website''' *[http://pahouse.com/DCosta/ Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus – Dom Costa] '''official Party website'''
{{s-start}} {{s-legal}} {{succession box | before = Robert McNeilly | title = Pittsburgh Police Chief | years = 2006 | after = Earl Woodyard}} {{s-end}}
{{Pittsburgh Police Chiefs}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Costa, Dom}} Category:Living people Category:Democratic Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Category:Indiana University of Pennsylvania alumni Category:Chiefs of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police Category:1951 births Category:21st-century members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly
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