In less than a week, residents of the City of Pittsburgh will, in effect, know who their next mayor will be. No need to worry about the November General Election—in a city as Democratic as Pittsburgh, the Democratic Primary on May 18 will tell the tale.
We at the New Pittsburgh Courier had a long discussion as to which candidate would receive our endorsement for Pittsburgh mayor. We believe that the current mayor, Bill Peduto, has made some strides in aiding our African American community, such as helping to establish a Housing Opportunity Fund, fight for a more diverse city police force and establishing an “Office of Equity,” the fifth of its kind in the country.
“We infuse our work with the belief that our young people and children, especially Black young men and boys, and women of all ages deserve access to opportunities to succeed,” is part of how the mayor’s office describes its Office of Equity.
With that said, the Courier ultimately believes that Mayor Peduto’s African American opponent, state Rep. Ed Gainey, is the better choice to lead Pittsburgh for the next four years. Who better to help African Americans prosper in Pittsburgh than Mr. Gainey, a man who has lived the life of an African American who was born and raised here? He’s a Peabody High School graduate who graduated from an HBCU, then came back to our city and has dedicated his life to public service. He knows what African Americans face here in this town. He continuously fights for the betterment of Black people here, and he is constantly present at African American community functions as the de facto “face” of our community.
The mayoral debates that have been occurring the past few months here have basically focused on how Pittsburgh can be a “Pittsburgh for all.” Bill Peduto has had eight years to make Pittsburgh a city for all, and even he admitted in his own TV commercials that “we aren’t there yet” and that “we still have a long way to go.”
The New Pittsburgh Courier believes that, over the next four years, Ed Gainey has what it takes to make Pittsburgh a better place for African Americans. Mr. Peduto had his chance. Now it’s time for Mr. Gainey to have his. The Courier endorses Ed Gainey for mayor of the City of Pittsburgh. Below are our other endorsements in the May 18 primary.
Mayor of the City of
Pittsburgh
Ed Gainey
Pennsylvania
Commonwealth Court
Amanda Green-Hawkins
Allegheny County Court of
Common Pleas
Elliot Howsie
Rosemary Crawford
Nicola Henry-Taylor
Wrenna Watson
Tiffany Sizemore
Pittsburgh School
Board of Directors
District 1—Sylvia Wilson
District 3—Sala Udin
District 7—Khamil
Scantling
District 9—Veronica
Edwards
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