Mayoral election in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (May 18, 2021 Democratic primary)

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2021 Pittsburgh elections
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Election dates
Filing deadline: March 9, 2021
Primary election: May 18, 2021
General election: November 2, 2021
Election stats
Offices up: Mayor
Total seats up: 1 (click here for other city elections)
Election type: Partisan
Other municipal elections
U.S. municipal elections, 2021

Edward Gainey (D) defeated incumbent Bill Peduto (D), Tony Moreno (Pennsylvania) (D), and Michael Thompson (D) in the May 18, 2021, Democratic primary. No Republicans filed to run in the May 18 Republican primary. Moreno received 1,379 write-in votes in the Republican primary and accepted the Republican nomination.[1][2]

Peduto was first elected mayor in 2013. He was re-elected in 2017 after winning 68.9% of the vote in the Democratic primary. He ran unopposed in the general election. Before becoming mayor, Peduto served on the Pittsburgh City Council, representing District 8, from 2002-2013. Peduto's campaign focused on his tenure as mayor, including policies enacted in response to the coronavirus pandemic.[3] On March 8, the Allegheny County Labor Council, which represents 135 local unions, endorsed Peduto.[4] 32BJ SEIU Pennsylvania, which represents custodians and security workers, endorsed Peduto on March 4, 2021.[5]

Gainey was elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives to represent District 24 in 2012. He was re-elected in 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2020. His mayoral campaign focused on law enforcement, the economy, and affordable housing. He received the endorsement of the Allegheny County Democratic Committee, earning 326 votes to Moreno's 224. Peduto did not seek the Committee's endorsement.[6] SEIU Healthcare, which represents healthcare workers, endorsed Gainey on February 20, 2021.[7] It previously backed Peduto in 2013.[8]

Moreno, a military veteran and retired Pittsburgh police officer, pointed to his experience in law enforcement, saying he "knows what it takes to build the public’s trust in its law enforcement."[9] He ran on his Plan for Pittsburgh, which covered public works, public safety, and city-first reforms.[9] The Boilermakers Local 154 union endorsed Moreno.[10]

Thompson, a math tutor and driver for Lyft and Uber, said that his campaign won't take funding from corporations and developers. He said that makes him "the only candidate that can overcome the hurdles that are put in the way of creating more affordable housing." He also said he had lived in public housing for 13 years.[11]

Criminal justice reform was a central theme in the race. Peduto pointed to policies he implemented as mayor, including mandatory de-escalation practices and implicit bias training. He also said he created an Office of Community Health and Safety to reduce interactions between the police and people in need of social or mental health services, saying, "[t]he point is to make sure police officers aren’t the ones responding to these calls, but rather social workers, and professionals who have an expertise in this area."[12] Gainey called for reforming the mandatory arbitration process used in police disciplinary cases to make it easier to discipline or fire officers when necessary.[13] He's criticized Peduto for failing to follow through on earlier campaign promises to defund the police, saying "it just hasn't happened. There’s no strategy at all. And so no one's gonna believe in something they can't see. They're not gonna believe in it."[14] Moreno said he would use crisis intervention training he created to "develop and implement community policing programs." He called for putting more police officers on the street to coordinate traffic.[15] Thompson proposed reducing police funding by 50% and using that money to provide housing.[16]

The last Republican mayor of Pittsburgh was John S. Herron, who assumed office in 1933 and served for one year.[17] Pittsburgh is located in Pennsylvania's 18th Congressional District. During the 2020 election, the 18th Congressional District voted for Joe Biden (D) over Donald Trump (R). Biden won the district by 31 percentage points.[18]

This page covers the Democratic primary for mayor. For more on the general election, click here.

Election updates

  • April 13, 2021: All four candidates participated in a debate hosted by WESA, Pittsburgh's NPR station, and the Pittsburgh Black Media Federation. A video of the debate is embedded below.[19]
  • April 8, 2021: All four candidates participated in a debate hosted by Pittsburgh UNITED.[20]

Elections

Candidates and results

General election

General election for Mayor of Pittsburgh

Edward Gainey defeated Tony Moreno in the general election for Mayor of Pittsburgh on November 2, 2021.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Edward Gainey
Edward Gainey (D)
 
70.8
 
50,165
Image of Tony Moreno
Tony Moreno (R)
 
28.4
 
20,162
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.8
 
558

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 70,885
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Mayor of Pittsburgh

Edward Gainey defeated incumbent Bill Peduto, Tony Moreno, and Michael Thompson in the Democratic primary for Mayor of Pittsburgh on May 18, 2021.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Edward Gainey
Edward Gainey
 
46.4
 
26,479
Image of Bill Peduto
Bill Peduto
 
39.2
 
22,406
Image of Tony Moreno
Tony Moreno
 
13.0
 
7,442
Image of Michael Thompson
Michael Thompson
 
1.2
 
680
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.2
 
117

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 57,124
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Mayor of Pittsburgh

Tony Moreno defeated incumbent Bill Peduto in the Republican primary for Mayor of Pittsburgh on May 18, 2021.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Tony Moreno
Tony Moreno (Write-in)
 
36.1
 
1,379
Image of Bill Peduto
Bill Peduto (Write-in)
 
7.5
 
285
 Other/Write-in votes
 
56.4
 
2,151

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 3,815
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff compiled a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy.[21]


Bill Peduto

Bill Peduto

Image of Bill Peduto

WebsiteFacebookTwitterYouTube

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: Yes

Political Office: 

  • Mayor of Pittsburgh (Assumed office: 2013)
  • Pittsburgh City Council District 8 (2002-2013)

Biography:  In 1986, Peduto enrolled at Penn State University after a short stint at Carnegie Mellon University. He did not complete his degree, instead choosing to work on political campaigns. Peduto earned his bachelor's degree in 2007 after returning to Penn State to finish his final classes. In 2011, he earned a master's degree in public policy and management from the University of Pittsburgh. He worked as a staffer for the Pittsburgh City Council for seven years, before winning a seat on the Council representing District 8. He held that seat from 2002 to 2014.


Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

Peduto says he put policies in place that he said would raise wages for workers and make neighborhoods more affordable.

Peduto said he worked as mayor to rebuild trust in city government by building "up a $120 Million budget surplus from 2014-2020 allowing city to withstand the pandemic without layoffs." He also said he's focused on reforming law enforcement by requiring "implicit bias training for all Police Officers" and mandating that "every officer wear a body camera, including new technology that automatically turns them on if a taser or gun is pulled." 

Peduto emphasized his efforts to make Pittsburgh a more environmentally sustainable city. He pointed to an initiative to move "the city to 100% renewable energy purchasing" and his development of "the Marshall Plan for Middle America, which serves as a roadmap for communities in the Ohio Valley to make the transition to a green economy."

Show sources

Sources: Bill Peduto, "Accomplishments," accessed May 4, 2021; Trib Live, "Seeking 3rd term during pandemic, Peduto says 'there's still a lot of work to do'," accessed May 4, 2021; Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, "MAYOR WILLIAM PEDUTO," accessed May 4, 2021; Pittsburgh Business Times, "Peduto to speak at Pitt's commencement," accessed May 4, 2021; Trib Live, "Degree of separation," accessed May 4, 2021

This information was current as of the candidate's run for Mayor of Pittsburgh in 2021.

Edward Gainey

Edward Gainey

Image of Edward Gainey

WebsiteFacebookTwitterYouTube

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: 

  • Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 24 (assumed office: 2013)

Biography:  Gainey graduated from Morgan State University with a bachelor's degree in business management in 1994. After that, worked as the community development specialist for the city of Pittsburgh, before winning election to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 2012. In 2010, he served as chairman of the Pittsburgh City Democratic Committee.


Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

Gainey discussed community safety and police reform, saying he wants to the city a place "where no one lives in fear of crime or of the police." He said he would redirect resources from militarized equipment to community policing strategies and make it easier for the city to discipline or fire police officers when necessary. 

Gainey said said he would push the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) to pay higher taxes and require companies and developers that accept public subsidies to pay into a fund for workforce development. He said he would also focus on creating new opportunities in the city government's workforce for residents from all neighborhoods and background. 

Gainey talked about affordable housing, saying he would "make good on the promise to unify our city, put resources into all of our neighborhoods, and invest in housing every Pittsburgher can afford." 

Show sources

Sources: Gainey for Mayor, "Priorities," accessed May 3, 2021; Gainey for Mayor, "Meet Ed", accessed May 3, 2021; PA House, "Rep. Edward C. Gainey," accessed May 3, 2021

This information was current as of the candidate's run for Mayor of Pittsburgh in 2021.

Tony Moreno

Tony Moreno

Image of Tony Moreno

WebsiteFacebookTwitterYouTube

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Biography:  Moreno was born in California. He enlisted in the United States Army at 17 and deployed twice. He attended police academy in Ohio, and joined the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police in 1994, where he worked for 24 years. In 2018, he completed the process of becoming a Private Detective in Allegheny County and started his own polygraph business.


Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

Moreno said he will focus on public infrastructure, including snow removal and waste management. He said he will "will direct DPW to install greater numbers of waste receptacles throughout the city to encourage residents and visitors to keep Pittsburgh clean, while also mandating weekly recycling pickup citywide."

Moreno said that because of his time as a police officer, he "knows what it takes to build the public’s trust in its law enforcement." He said he will put in place community policing programs based on crisis intervention training he developed and change the hiring process to recruit more diverse candidates for law enforcement. 

Moreno said he will "build a culture of transparency and accountability in city leadership and actively engage community stakeholders to develop smarter and more impactful policies." He said will conduct a review of the Park Tax and call for a new vote on the policy. 

Show sources

Sources: Real Steel Mayor, "TONY'S PLAN," accessed May 4, 2021; Real Steel Mayor, "TONY'S BIOGRAPHY," accessed May 4, 2021; The One World Blue Network, "MEET PITTSBURGH MAYORAL CANDIDATE, TONY MORENO," accessed May 4, 2021

This information was current as of the candidate's run for Mayor of Pittsburgh in 2021.

Michael Thompson

Michael Thompson

Image of Michael Thompson

WebsiteFacebookTwitter

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Biography:  Thompson was born and raised in Pittsburgh, and graduated from Brown University. At the time of the election, he worked as a math tutor at Butler County Community College and drove for Uber and Lyft.


Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

Thompson proposed cutting the police budget by 50%. He said, "[u]se the money from the police budget for a comprehensive solution to poverty based crimes. Provide housing and social workers and psychiatric care to those in need. Invest in an all new police force. Train them well."

Thompson said he lives in public housing and believes "[h]ousing is a human right."

Thompson said he supports term limits and proposed passing a law "enforcing a term limit of two terms and eight years for mayor of Pittsburgh."

Show sources

Sources: Mike Thompson for Mayor, "Issues," accessed May 4, 2021; Mike Thompson for Mayor, "Change happens now!" accessed May 4, 2021

This information was current as of the candidate's run for Mayor of Pittsburgh in 2021.

Polls

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls

If you are aware of polls conducted in this race, please email us.

Campaign finance

The chart below contains data from financial reports submitted to the Pittsburgh Ethics Hearing Board since January 1, 2021. Funds available to the campaigns before January 1, 2021, are shown below the chart.

Thompson filed a waiver with the Ethics Hearing Board on March 8, 2021, and did not report contributions or expenditures.[22]

Cash on hand before January 1, 2021

Noteworthy primary endorsements

This section includes noteworthy endorsements issued in the primary, added as we learn about them. Click here to read how we define noteworthy primary endorsements. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please email us.

Democratic primary endorsements
Endorsement Peduto Gainey Moreno Thompson
Elected officials
Pittsburgh City Council member Ricky Burgess (D)[23] ✔
Pittsburgh City Council member Deborah Gross (D)[24] ✔
Pittsburgh City Council member Corey O'Connor (D)[23] ✔
Pittsburgh City Council member Erika Strassburger (D)[23] ✔
Pittsburgh City Council member Bobby Wilson (D)[23] ✔
Pittsburgh City Council member R. Daniel Lavelle (D)[23] ✔
Pittsburgh City Council member Theresa Kail-Smith (D)[23] ✔
Pittsburgh City Council member Anthony Coghill (D)[23] ✔
Allegheny County Council member DeWitt Walton (D)[23] ✔
Allegheny County Council member Bethany Hallam (D)[24] ✔
Allegheny County Council member Olivia Bennett (D)[24] ✔
Allegheny County Council member Bob Palmosina (D)[23] ✔
State Rep. Emily Kinkead (D)[23] ✔
State Rep. Jake Wheatley Jr. (D)[24] ✔
State Rep. Sara Innamorato (D)[24] ✔
State Rep. Summer Lee (D)[24] ✔
State Rep. Daniel Deasy (D)[23] ✔
State Sen. Jay Costa (D)[23] ✔
State Sen. Wayne Fontana (D)[23] ✔
Rep. Michael Doyle (D-Pa.))[23] ✔
Pittsburgh Public Schools board member Devon Taliaferro (D)[24] ✔
Pittsburgh Public Schools board member Kevin L. Carter (D)[24] ✔
Pittsburgh Public Schools board member Pam Harbin (D)[24] ✔
Organizations
Laborers Local 373[23] ✔
SEIU Healthcare[25] ✔
Laborers' Union Local 1058[23] ✔
Laborers' District Council of Western PA[23] ✔
UFCW Local 1776 Keystone State[23] ✔
Fraternal Association of Professional Paramedics[23] ✔
Center for Popular Democracy[24] ✔
One PA[24] ✔
32BJ SEIU Pennsylvania[25] ✔
Alliance for Police Accountability[24] ✔
Allegheny County Democratic Committee[24] ✔
UE Local 667[24] ✔
International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers and Helpers[26] ✔

Campaign advertisements

This section shows advertisements released in this race. Ads released by campaigns and, if applicable, satellite groups are embedded or linked below. If you are aware of advertisements that should be included, please email us.

Bill Peduto

Supporting Peduto

"One City" - Peduto campaign ad, released March 30, 2021
"The Beard" - Peduto campaign ad, released March 30, 2021
"Past. Present. Future." - Peduto campaign ad, released January 21, 2021


Edward Gainey

Supporting Gainey

"The People's Endorsements - Will Alison" - Gainey campaign ad, released May 3, 2021
"Gainey For Mayor Launch Video" - Gainey campaign ad, released April 28, 2021
"The People's Endorsements - Deborah McKoy

" - Gainey campaign ad, released April 28, 2021


Debates and candidate forums

Know of a debate or forum we're missing? Email us.

  • April 13, 2021: All four candidates participated in a debate hosted by WESA, Pittsburgh's NPR station, and the Pittsburgh Black Media Federation. A video of the debate is embedded below.[27]
  • April 8, 2021: All four candidates participated in a debate hosted by Pittsburgh UNITED. Click here to watch a video of the debate on Facebook.[28]
Mayoral debate on April 13, 2021

Mayoral partisanship

See also: Partisanship in United States municipal elections (2021)

Mayoral elections were held in 28 of the 100 largest U.S. cities in 2021. Once mayors elected in 2021 assumed office, the mayors of 64 of the country's 100 largest cities were affiliated with the Democratic Party.

The following top-100 mayoral offices changed partisan control in 2021:

What was at stake?

Report a story for this election

Ballotpedia researches issues in local elections across the United States, but information availability is a challenge for us in many areas. Please contact us about the issues that impact your local election. Note that not all submissions may meet Ballotpedia's coverage requirements for inclusion.

Candidate survey

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Additional elections on the ballot

See also: Pennsylvania elections, 2021

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May 18, 2021
November 2, 2021

About the city

See also: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. As of 2020, its population was 302,971.

City government

See also: Mayor-council government

The city of Pittsburgh uses a strong mayor and city council system. In this form of municipal government, the city council serves as the city's primary legislative body while the mayor serves as the city's chief executive.[30]

Demographics

The following table displays demographic data provided by the United States Census Bureau.

Demographic Data for Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh Pennsylvania
Population 302,971 13,002,700
Land area (sq mi) 55 44,741
Race and ethnicity**
White 66.4% 79.4%
Black/African American 23% 11.1%
Asian 5.8% 3.5%
Native American 0.2% 0.2%
Pacific Islander 0.1% 0%
Other (single race) 1% 2.4%
Multiple 3.6% 3.4%
Hispanic/Latino 3.4% 7.6%
Education
High school graduation rate 93.2% 91%
College graduation rate 45.4% 32.3%
Income
Median household income $50,536 $63,627
Persons below poverty level 19.7% 12%
Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2020). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2015-2020).
**Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.


See also

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Municipal government Other local coverage
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External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, "Tony Moreno wins GOP nomination for Pittsburgh mayor via write-ins, could face Ed Gainey in November general election," May 26, 2021
  2. ↑ Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, "Tony Moreno accepts Republican nomination for Pittsburgh mayor, will challenge Ed Gainey in November," June 29, 2021
  3. ↑ Bill Peduto, "Accomplishments," accessed May 4, 2021
  4. ↑ Bill Peduto, "Allegheny County Labor Council Endorses Mayor Peduto for Reelection," March 8, 2021
  5. ↑ Facebook, "32BE SEIU Members Proudly Show Support for Mayor Bill Peduto," March 4, 2021
  6. ↑ WESA, "Gainey Says It ‘Speaks Volumes’ That Democratic Committee Endorsed Him As Mayoral Candidate," March 7, 2021
  7. ↑ CBS Pittsburgh, "Pittsburgh Mayoral Candidate Ed Gainey Receives Endorsement From SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania," February 20, 2021
  8. ↑ The Washington Examiner, "Primary in Pittsburgh," May 2, 2021
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Real Steel Mayor, "TONY'S PLAN," accessed May 4, 2021
  10. ↑ Facebook, "Tony Moreno for Pittsburgh Mayor," March 24, 2021
  11. ↑ Just Harvest, "2021 Primary Election: Mayor of Pittsburgh," April 19, 2021
  12. ↑ The Appeal, "How policing is shaping the Pittburgh Mayoral race," April 27, 2021
  13. ↑ Gainey for Mayor, "PRIORITIES," accessed May 4, 2021
  14. ↑ Pittsburgh City Paper, "2021 Mayoral candidates on Pittsburgh policies: Ed Gainey," April 2, 2021
  15. ↑ Real Steel Mayor, "TONY'S PLAN," accessed May 4, 2021
  16. ↑ Mike Thompson for Mayor, "Issues," accessed May 4, 2021
  17. ↑ The Digs, "The last Republican mayor of Pittsburgh," November 6, 2013
  18. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' presidential results by congressional district for 2020, 2016, and 2012," Nov. 19, 2020
  19. ↑ WESA"', "Watch The Pittsburgh Mayoral Debate, Hosted By WESA & The Pittsburgh Black Media Federation," March 31, 2021
  20. ↑ PUMP, "PITTSBURGH UNITED MAYORAL CANDIDATE FORUM," accessed May 9, 2021
  21. ↑ In battleground primaries, Ballotpedia based its selection of noteworthy candidates on polling, fundraising, and noteworthy endorsements. In battleground general elections, all major party candidates and any other candidates with the potential to impact the outcome of the race were included.
  22. ↑ Pittsburgh Ethics Hearing Board, "Michael Thompson Statement of Circulator," accessed May 5, 2021
  23. ↑ 23.00 23.01 23.02 23.03 23.04 23.05 23.06 23.07 23.08 23.09 23.10 23.11 23.12 23.13 23.14 23.15 23.16 23.17 23.18 Bill Peduto, "Supporters," accessed May 4, 2021
  24. ↑ 24.00 24.01 24.02 24.03 24.04 24.05 24.06 24.07 24.08 24.09 24.10 24.11 24.12 24.13 Ed Gainey for Mayor, "Endorsements," accessed May 4, 2021
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 WESA, "Union Divides Over Pittsburgh Mayoral Race Endorsement," February 24, 2021
  26. ↑ Real Steel Mayor, "The Mayor Pittsburgh Deserves," accessed May 4, 2021
  27. ↑ WESA"', "Watch The Pittsburgh Mayoral Debate, Hosted By WESA & The Pittsburgh Black Media Federation," March 31, 2021
  28. ↑ PUMP, "PITTSBURGH UNITED MAYORAL CANDIDATE FORUM," accessed May 9, 2021
  29. ↑ Las Vegas Review-Journal, "North Las Vegas Mayor John Lee says he’s becoming a Republican," April 6, 2021
  30. ↑ Pittsburgh Home Rule Charter, "What is home rule?" accessed October 27, 2014
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