Mayoral candidates Ed Gainey and Corey O’Connor faced a packed auditorium Feb. 2 at the Barbara Daly Danko Political Forum. The stakes for the candidates were high: the 14th ward is the largest ward in Pittsburgh, encompassing portions of six neighborhoods across the East End. The candidates not only need to win over the voters, but also the political committees. The candidate who wins over the 14th Ward Independent Democratic Club and the 14th ward Democratic Committee receives dedicated volunteers, free mailers, and more.
Ann Belser, the owner of Print newspaper, moderated the forum and didn’t let generalizations go unquestioned. Her first question about the effects of rapid gentrification became the focal point of discussion throughout the evening: “As rents have risen, an estimated 25% of units sit vacant because residents cannot afford the rent.”
(Editor’s Note: Belser appears to have been referring to new developments in East Liberty specifically and cited a statistic from bestneighborhood.org. Following publication, CEO of Walnut Capital Gregg Perelman wrote Pittsburgh City Paper to note that the developer’s Bakery Living Blue property is over 98% occupied.)
Incumbent Mayor Ed Gainey was passionate in painting a picture of his administration’s affordable housing agenda.
“We have been laser focused on creating an affordable housing agenda. And the affordable housing agenda that we created is beginning to pay dividends,” he told the crowd. “Since 2022, we’ve built 2,000 units of affordable housing.” He credited Pittsburgh’s state delegation for making “amazing” progress and sealing 12 low-income housing tax credit deals in two cycles.
The Gainey administration has received millions in funding from federal, state, county, and city funds to address issues due to COVID and the affordable housing crisis. The majority of those dollars have been spent to create affordable housing. Gainey also pointed to his administration’s work with state and county leaders on transit-oriented development. “We just got $600 million from the state thanks to Josh Shapiro, County Executive Sara Innamorato, and thanks to the business community downtown,” he said.
County Controller O’Connor’s main point of contention was how the Gainey administration invested the COVID relief funds. “We had $340 million from COVID relief money that went to hiring 100 new employees in the city of Pittsburgh. Who’s gonna pay for those hundred employees?”
O’Connor accused Gainey of “wasting” money without a long-term plan and noted that the City of Pittsburgh has been renting trucks for public works.
“I see Pittsburgh at a crossroads right now where we have to grow as a city and right now this city is not being held accountable. We have to be held accountable for the resources that aren’t being given to neighbors and residents,” he said. O’Connor went on to question whether Pittsburgh is again headed for Act 47 status while Gainey vehemently denied the claim.
Gainey and O’Connor, who had often been allies in politics, had differing views of which projects should have been funded. The back and forth was that of two people who had spent time with the budget and the city’s day-to-day operations.
If one thing was clear by the end of the night, it was that these are two locals who love their city and will fight for it.
The primary is set for May 20, 2025, with multiple Republicans vying for the GOP mayoral endorsement. A recording of the debate is available on YouTube.
This article appears in Jan 29 – Feb 4, 2025.
