PA House of Representatives
State Rep. Ed Gainey launched a bid to challenge Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto’s re-election Tuesday night, issuing an emailed statement that said he was running “because I know that the working people of Pittsburgh need opportunities for good union jobs with a living wage and benefits, affordable housing, genuine public safety, and a city where we can all belong and contribute.”
The statement said Gainey, 50, plans an official kick-off event to be held Saturday afternoon, which will almost certainly mark the beginning of Peduto’s most serious challenge.
Gainey has a deep background in local government, having worked on community development for former Mayors Tom Murphy and Luke Ravenstahl prior to being elected to represent the 24th state House District – which is centered on largely Black East End neighborhoods – in 2012. He’s also been active in the Allegheny County Democratic Committee. If he were to win, he would be the the city's first Black mayor.