Welcome to the latest edition of Voices of Reason where we’ll recap exclusive news and data featured in our most recent podcast.
This special segment dives in with the winner of the Democratic primary for Pittsburgh mayor with an exclusive interview with Allegheny County Controller Corey O'Connor, who share views and insights you want to know.
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Democratic Nominee for Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O’Connor highlights that while the current bond ratings may be high for Pittsburgh, they do not “plow a street, fix a water fountain, build a playground, or invest in communities,” rather, they force mayors to “cut major initiatives” and ultimately need to “raise fees or add a tax to pay your bond back.” [Watch]
Corey O’Connor argues that change is necessary because the current “5-year budget shows fewer people going to be employed in the city of Pittsburgh, as well as real estate taxes declining over those five years and taking on additional debt.” [Watch]
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Elections
- In the Democratic primary for Pittsburgh mayor, Corey O’Connor won with 52.8% of the vote, defeating incumbent Ed Gainey, who received only 47.2%. [NYTimes]
- In the Republican primary for Pittsburgh mayor, Tony Moreno won with 69.9% of the vote, defeating Thomas West, who received only 30.1%. [NYTimes]
- In the Democratic primary, nearly 19,000 mail-in ballots were counted, with write-ins making up less than 0.5% of the vote, while in the Republican race, write-in candidates drew about 12% of the vote. [TribLive]
Voter Interests
- Before becoming Allegheny County controller, Mr. O’Connor served 11 years on Pittsburgh City Council, where he championed legislation on paid sick leave and gun control after the 2018 synagogue shooting. [PittsburghPost-Gazette]
- For the second consecutive election, Democrats unseated a sitting mayor in Pittsburgh—an event that hadn’t occurred in nearly 100 years until Ed Gainey did so four years ago by defeating then-Mayor Bill Peduto. [PittsburghPost-Gazette]
- This November, voters will fill one vacant seat each on the Commonwealth and Superior Courts and decide whether to grant five appellate judges new 10-year terms. [SpotlightPA]
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Corey O'Connor Wins Pittsburgh Mayoral Democratic Primary
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