Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey ousted in blow to progressives
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey (D) has lost the Democratic primary to a moderate challenger, Decision Desk HQ projects.
The progressive Gainey, the city's first Black mayor, lost to Alleghany County Controller Corey O'Connor, the son of former Mayor Bob O'Connor (D).
The race in the heavily Democratic city, which hasn't elected a Republican mayor in more than 90 years, is the latest battle between the progressive and moderate wings of the party following its loss in the presidential election in November.
Gainey was first elected four years ago after ousting then-incumbent Mayor Bill Peduto (D) in the Democratic primary, going on to easily win the general election.
While serving as mayor, Gainey has emphasized concentrating on the root causes of crime, investing in affordable housing, public spaces and infrastructure and increasing the use of renewable energy. He's touted a drop in the city's homicides as an accomplishment while campaigning.
But O'Connor has gone after Gainey's record on various issues, with much of the focus of the race being on the city's budget.
A report from the city controller's office warned last year that the city is running out of money in its reserve account, and O'Connor has blamed Gainey for mismanagement. Gainey has acknowledged that the city will have a tight budget in the coming years but dismissed some of the more concerning outlooks that some have raised.
O'Connor has also criticized Gainey for yearslong staffing issues in the police department, which has shuffled through multiple chiefs in just a few years.
Internal polls at times showed O'Connor with a large lead, but that lead shrunk as the election approached.
But O'Connor was able to pull off the win, having narrowly gotten the endorsement of the Alleghany County Democratic Party. Both candidates received endorsements from various local officials and labor unions, also splitting support among members of the Pittsburgh City Council.
O'Connor has called for implementing strategic debt management practices and reallocating idle funds to address the budget and more staffing and funding for public safety services.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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