PITTSBURGH — On Monday, as voters dropped off their mail-in ballots, many were focused on a single race: the match-up between incumbent Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey and challenger County Controller Corey O’Connor. One in five voters in the city of Pittsburgh is a registered Democrat, and Tuesday’s Democratic Primary traditionally determines the next mayor of the city.
Channel 11 News spoke with both candidates as they made their final appeals to voters.
“The biggest difference between me and my opponent is that I work for the people; everybody knows all I do is for the people,” Gainey said, who’s noted for being the city’s first Black mayor.
“I’m the Democratic endorsed candidate. I have been a Democrat my whole life, and I have the support of the Democrats in Pittsburgh,” said Challenger County Controller Corey O’Connor, one of the most familiar names in politics across the city and the son of a former mayor.
The two candidates are expected to split the vote in what could be one of the closest primary races in the region. Both seasoned Democrats have different views on how to shape Pittsburgh’s future.
On Monday, the candidates explained what they believe to be at stake in this race, highlighting issues such as infrastructure, the downtown business district, education, public safety, and housing. O’Connor has criticized the public safety cuts made by the Gainey administration and the inconsistent leadership within the police department.
“I think we need to build a future that creates opportunities and growth, along with a family-first approach to public safety in our communities. That’s the message we started with, and we’ve maintained it throughout the campaign,” O’Connor said.
Gainey, a strong advocate for community policing, has pointed to a decline in homicides and violent crimes in the city. He told Channel 11 News that ensuring public safety, especially for youth, is a top priority of his administration.
“Continuing to reduce the homicide rate is number one; we want to ensure that we do everything we can to keep our children safe and away from guns,” Gainey explained.
Housing is also a major talking point, and while both candidates agree that the city needs more affordable housing, they differ on how to achieve that goal.
“I believe that when you have land and space available, you need someone who will act quickly to ensure we have affordable housing throughout the city,” O’Connor stated.
Gainey, if re-elected, has pledged to continue building “Pittsburgh for All.”
“We want a city for everybody, and at the end of the day, we want to ensure that affordability is not solely determined by developers,” He said. “We want to make sure there is affordable housing throughout this city.”
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