In a surprising shake-up in Pennsylvania politics, Allegheny County Controller Corey O’Connor defeated incumbent Mayor Ed Gainey in Tuesday’s Democratic primary, ending Gainey’s historic tenure as Pittsburgh’s first Black mayor.

The election served as a local referendum on public safety, housing, and fiscal management—issues that O’Connor used to frame Gainey’s leadership as lacking vision and accountability.

With Pittsburgh’s long-standing Democratic leanings, O’Connor is now heavily favored to win the general election this November against a little-known Republican challenger. The city hasn’t elected a Republican mayor since the 1930s.

O’Connor, the son of late former mayor Bob O’Connor, entered the race with strong name recognition and the endorsement of the local Democratic Party. Throughout the campaign, he criticized Gainey’s handling of city finances and argued that basic services—like snow removal and emergency response—had been undermined by poor leadership.

“People don’t feel safe, and our city systems are breaking down,” O’Connor said during a recent debate. “We’re headed for a financial crisis that’s going to hit every resident, every day—from potholes to ambulances.”

While Gainey defended his record, pointing to a growing local economy, stabilized taxes, and improved crime statistics, it wasn’t enough to hold onto his seat. Gainey, a product of Pittsburgh’s subsidized housing communities and a proud progressive, had positioned himself as a champion of working people and a strong opponent of Trump-era politics.

But his housing policies faced backlash from both developers and community housing advocates. Developers saw his approach as rigid, while some housing groups said Gainey hadn’t delivered on his promises to address the affordability crisis.

The primary battle split the Democratic base. While Gainey was backed by progressive groups like the Working Families Party and the SEIU, O’Connor enjoyed support from construction interests and moderate Democrats concerned about economic revitalization in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Though Gainey campaigned on his roots and resistance to right-wing threats, O’Connor’s message of restoring “functional government” appeared to resonate more with primary voters this time around.

Elsewhere in Pennsylvania, Philadelphia’s controversial District Attorney Larry Krasner held onto his seat in the Democratic primary, fending off a challenge from Pat Dugan, a former judge and Iraq War veteran.

Krasner, known nationally for his progressive criminal justice agenda, overcame years of criticism, an impeachment attempt by state Republicans, and relentless attacks from conservative media and politicians including Donald Trump.

Dugan had branded Krasner “Let ’em Go Larry” and argued that the DA’s office was staffed by underqualified lawyers. But voters stuck with Krasner, who touted falling crime rates and new crime-solving technologies as evidence that his reform agenda could coexist with public safety.

In campaign ads, Krasner positioned himself as a defender of Philadelphia’s values, saying he’s ready to stand up to Trump and what he called “the old system that denied justice for too long.”

Despite critiques from across the political spectrum, Krasner’s victory signals continued support for progressive justice reform in the city, even as national conversations shift toward more centrist crime policy.


By WafricNews Political Desk.