Pittsburgh mayoral candidate forum to be livestreamed Monday

Julia Felton | Friday, October 1, 2021 10:20 a.m.

Courtesy of Matt Cashore, Tony Moreno

Pittsburgh mayoral candidates are Ed Gainey (left) and Tony Moreno.

With just over a month until election day, 1Hood Power will host a forum for Pittsburgh’s mayoral candidates to discuss key issues for voters.

The event, scheduled for 7 p.m. on Monday, will be livestreamed through the 1Hood Power Facebook and YouTube channels.

State Rep. Ed Gainey, of Lincoln-Lemington, earned the Democratic nomination, defeating incumbent Mayor Bill Peduto. If elected, Gainey would be the city’s first Black mayor.

Former Pittsburgh police officer Tony Moreno, of Brighton Heights, is running as a Republican after coming in third on the Democratic primary ballot, behind Gainey and Peduto. He garnered enough Republican write-in votes to appear on the ballot for the party.

Pittsburgh has not elected a Republican mayor since the 1930s.

During the forum, 1Hood Power will raise questions about how each candidate would tackle issues including the economy, education, public safety and housing.

1Hood Power is a nonprofit aiming to build political power, hold politicians accountable and develop effective political leadership through issue advocacy and civic education initiatives. It is an arm of 1Hood Media, a Pittsburgh-based collective of artists and activists that use art to raise awareness for social issues.

The mayoral forum is part of the 1Hood Power’s larger Statewide Candidate Fall Forums initiative. On Oct. 11, they will host a similar event with candidates running for spots on Pittsburgh City Council and Allegheny County Council. On Oct. 18, a panel will feature five judicial candidates engaging in a roundtable discussion.