In a tweet posted at around 10.30 p.m. on Tuesday, Peduto wrote: “I just called @gainey_ed and congratulated him on earning the Democratic endorsement for Mayor of the city of Pittsburgh. Wishing him well. Thank you Pittsburgh for the honor of being your Mayor these past 8 years. I will remain forever grateful.”
At about 5.35 a.m. on Wednesday, Gainey led the primary election with 46.20 percent of the vote, while Peduto stood at 39.26 percent.
Gainey is all but certain to win the mayoral election in November and take office next January. Pittsburgh has not chosen a Republican mayor since the 1930s.
“One person can’t change a city,” Gainey said on Tuesday night. “A city is changed with all of us. A city is changed when we all come together, to change the quality of life for everybody. That’s why I ran for mayor because I believe that we can have a city for all. And we will work hard, not just I as mayor, but we as a community, we as a city, will work to build a better city called Pittsburgh for everybody.”
The 51-year-old, who has served as a state representative for Pennsylvania’s 24th district since 2013, said in a later statement: “I’m honored, humbled and proud that the people of Pittsburgh have placed their faith in me by making me their Democratic nominee for the office of mayor.
“This election made history, and I’m ready to go to work building a Pittsburgh where all can belong, contribute and succeed.”
Retired police detective Tony Moreno and Oakland resident Michael Thompson were also on the ballot for the Democratic primary. No candidates stood for the Republican primary, but GOP voters could choose a nominee through a write-in process.
Newsweek has contacted Gainey’s team for further comment.
Gainey’s campaign website states that he “supports the Alliance for Police Accountability’s ballot initiatives to ban no-knock warrants,” which allow officers to enter private premises without announcing their presence. The legislation is known as “Breonna’s Law,” after Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old Black woman who was shot dead by a police officer in Louisville, Kentucky, in 2020.
On the economy, Gainey aims to end corporate handouts, give workers more rights to unionize and demand that the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center—the region’s most profitable enterprise—pay more in taxes. He has promised to revive a lawsuit challenging the center’s non-profit status, which allows it to pay lower taxes.
Gainey also hopes to reduce Pittsburgh’s carbon footprint by accelerating efforts to electrify the city’s vehicles and wants to confront environmental racism. He plans to create an Office of Youth Engagement and a Youth Commission, to represent the interests of the city’s younger population. Gainey has also questioned Peduto’s record on affordable housing during his eight years as mayor.
