PITTSBURGH — Allegheny County Controller and former Pittsburgh City Councilman Corey O’Connor officially announced his plans to run for Mayor of Pittsburgh.
Channel 11 sat down with O’Connor ahead of the announcement, asking what he envisions for Pittsburgh’s future.
O’Connor, along with his wife and two children, made the announcement Tuesday morning at Hazelwood Green. He was surrounded by his family members, friends and some veteran political heavyweights.
“I’m running because we deserve better. We deserve growing and thriving neighborhoods,” O’Connor said.
It didn’t take long for the 40-year-old O’Connor to go on the attack.
He blasted first-term mayor Ed Gainey and his administration, accusing them of a lack of transparency over the budget, mishandling covid relief funds, and failing to hire enough police officers to make the city safe.
“I see a mayor and an administration that is allowing people to feel increasingly unsafe. Property crime, retail and car theft, trespass and burglary and shootings are far too frequent,” O’Connor said.
In response, Mayor Ed Gainey released a statement where he highlighted a 45% decline in murders and non-fatal shootings.
O’Connor also criticized Gainey’s handling of the departure of Pittsburgh Police Chief Larry Scirotto, who left after 17 months to return to officiating college basketball.
>>> Pittsburgh Police Chief Larry Scirotto to retire after mounting pressure over side job
“He made a backroom deal with the chief of police, who then skipped town having enriched himself with our tax dollars and then lied about it,” O’Connor said.
And mishandling the homeless crisis.
“I see a mayor playing whack-a-mole with people’s lives, shifting them from neighborhood to neighborhood in reaction to negative press,” O’Connor said.
In that statement released Tuesday afternoon by the mayor’s campaign, Gainey said he welcomes competition, and that it brings out the best ideas.
Gainey also touted his efforts to revitalize downtown and increase affordable housing.
But standing with O’Connor are some political heavyweights, including former Pittsburgh city councilmembers Rev. Ricky Burgess and Bruce Kraus along with state senator Wayne Fontana of Pittsburgh and state representative Abigail Salisbury of Braddock.
“I am confident that Corey can lead us to a better city of creating thriving and growing neighborhoods of making people feel safer and most importantly, providing ethical and competent city administration,” Burgess said.
“I’m worried about where it’s going. I worry about population decreasing. I worry about businesses leaving. Those kinds of things and when I look at the budget, it looks like smoke and mirrors. It’s not real. We need to fix that,’ said State Senator Wayne Fontana, who also lives in Pittsburgh and part of his district includes the city of Pittsburgh.
Corey O’Connor is attempting to follow in his father’s footsteps. Bob O’Connor was elected Mayor of Pittsburgh after three attempts.
He only served seven months and passed away while in office in 2006 from a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer.
Fontana’s statement:
“The City of Pittsburgh needs to not only stabilize population loss and prevent businesses from leaving, it needs a vision for the future along with a comprehensive plan of action to grow population and grow the economy by bringing new businesses here.
Corey O’Connor brings that vision and has a plan through his experience as a city councilperson and as the county’s controller.
We cannot afford to go backwards. There is a fear of going back to Act 47 state oversight, a fear of continued decreasing public services, most importantly deteriorating public safety.
The City of Pittsburgh’s economic growth lags benchmark cities like Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, and Charlotte. It is obvious we are struggling.
To his credit, Governor Shapiro is investing significant state resources to revitalize downtown Pittsburgh. But to maximize this investment, we need a strategic action plan here locally. This includes increasing efficiencies at the city level such as expediting permits and handling zoning issues in a timely and thoughtful manner so development can happen, which ultimately grows our city and puts people to work.
Pittsburgh was once America’s Most Livable City and with Corey O’Connor as mayor, Pittsburgh will reclaim that status.”
Mayor Ed Gainey statement:
“My aspiration to serve as mayor of Pittsburgh was birthed out of the desire to bring reform and change the status quo, to make this great city a place where everyone — no matter their race, ethnicity, gender or culture — feels safe, welcomed, and truly has the ability to thrive. Winning an election isn’t about sitting behind a desk, it’s about governing, driving change, delivering results, and serving all people.”
“As mayor, the focus of my administration has always been on doing the work to build a government that works for everyone – whether it’s creating more affordable housing, restoring’ core constituent services, or making sure all neighborhoods are safe and thriving. It is my honor to serve the people of Pittsburgh, and I will continue to do so with great passion and pride. I welcome all those entering the mayoral race, as I am confident that healthy competition brings out the best ideas and will continue to foster progress in our city. This is not about personalities or politics, but instead about who can best serve the people of Pittsburgh and create a brighter future for all, and we will continue to allow this to drive our efforts.”
“Our future is bright, and I look forward to earning the vote of everyone in our great city. Together, the people of Pittsburgh and my administration have seen a 45% reduction in homicides and non-fatal shootings, activated a $30 million affordable housing bond for 1,000 units of affordable housing, secured a $600 million commitment to transform downtown, and so much more. Now, our work continues to build a safe, welcoming, and thriving Pittsburgh for all!”
Corey O’Connor’s statement:
Allegheny County Controller Corey O’Connor announced his candidacy for Mayor of the City of Pittsburgh Tuesday morning at Hazelwood Green, sharing his vision for growing and thriving neighborhoods, safe streets and better social services, and a financially responsible and ethical government.
“I’m running for Mayor because Pittsburgh deserves better. We deserve transparency, accountability, and a proactive vision. We deserve a leader who knows how to create partnerships, strengthen revenue, support growth, and invest in our communities. And we deserve a government that amplifies residents’ opportunities and invests in their future.”
O’Connor was elected to represent Pittsburgh City Council District 5 in 2011. In his more than 10 years on City Council, he fought to make local government more effective, stood up for workers by authoring Pittsburgh’s historic paid sick leave law, fought for gun safety, championed equitable community and economic development, secured critical funding for early childhood education and affordable housing, fought against the privatization of PWSA, and helped the City emerge from severe financial distress and Act 47.
Since 2022, O’Connor has served as Allegheny County Controller. As the County’s fiscal watchdog and taxpayer advocate, he has led investigations that revealed millions in unused funding for air quality improvements in marginalized communities, fought to make services for homelessness assistance more efficient, and advocated for reforms to the criminal justice system.
“I have dedicated my career to fighting for the communities that I grew up in and the City that I love. I know first-hand that when we have a strong vision and the will to bring people to the table, we can propel Pittsburgh forward so that it’s a City that provides world-class public amenities, abundant housing, and diverse economic opportunities.”
O’Connor is committed to ensuring that the City grows, government finances and services are managed to meet residents’ needs, neighborhoods flourish, housing is affordable, economic opportunities are abundant, and Pittsburgh is every family’s first choice for where to raise their children.
“We need a Pittsburgh that delivers real results for its residents,” said O’Connor. “And as your Mayor, working together, we can build the Pittsburgh that we deserve.”
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