'We deserve a better Pittsburgh': Corey O'Connor formally launches mayoral bid to oust Gainey

Allegheny County Controller Corey O’Connor on Tuesday formally declared his candidacy for Pittsburgh mayor, saying the city deserves transparency, thriving neighborhoods, safe streets, booming businesses and improved public safety staffing.

The announcement sets up what will likely be a fiercely fought Democratic primary on May 20 as O’Connor tries to unseat Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey.

“We deserve a better Pittsburgh for all of us,” O’Connor, 40, of Point Breeze said during his announcement at the city’s Hazelwood Green development in Hazelwood, where he was joined by his family and a small contingent of supporters.

Gainey has already announced plans to run for a second term.

“I welcome 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,” Gainey said in a statement.

O’Connor had harsh words about the incumbent mayor and how he’s been running the city.

He criticized the Gainey administration’s inability to convince the city’s major nonprofits to provide payments in lieu of taxes, something prior administrations also have struggled to do. But with declining revenues, O’Connor said, it’s more important than ever for the city to strike such deals.

“What I see now is wasted government spending all around us,” O’Connor said, ripping the Gainey administration for spending $6 million on a comprehensive plan for the city.

Several City Council members rapped the expenditure for being vague, pricey and irresponsible at a time of financial hardship.

O’Connor criticized Gainey for adding new jobs to an already stretched-thin budget in the first years of his administration and not being transparent enough with taxpayers about the state of the city’s finances.

“I’m deeply concerned the city of Pittsburgh is sleepwalking towards another financial disaster,” O’Connor said.

In response to O’Connor’s announcement, Gainey issued a statement saying his administration has focused on “doing the work to build a government that works for everyone,” by creating more affordable housing, restoring core services and “making sure all neighborhoods are safe and thriving.”

Gainey said his administration has reduced the number of homicides and non-fatal shootings, worked on creating 1,000 units of affordable housing and secured a $600 million commitment from Gov. Josh Shapiro for a Downtown makeover.

The mayor said he welcomed competition.

“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,” the statement said.

Focus on public safety

If elected, O’Connor said, his top priorities would be improving transparency and hiring a police chief “who’s going to be here full-time.”

Larry Scirotto recently resigned as police chief amid controversy surrounding a secret deal he struck with Gainey to allow him to referee NCAA basketball part-time.

Gainey has not yet nominated anyone to permanently replace Scirotto.

O’Connor said he also would prioritize hiring more police and EMTs amid public safety staffing shortages.

He lambasted Gainey for not investing more in recruiting for public safety or investing in the department’s key needs. O’Connor pointed out that EMS leaders have reported ambulances breaking down while trying to deliver patients to the hospital.

O’Connor also condemned Gainey for taking money initially earmarked for a sprawling new public safety training center in the city’s Lincoln-Lemington neighborhood for other purposes.

The Gainey administration has said the city couldn’t cover the rising costs of the proposal, but O’Connor on Tuesday said even just moving the police bureau’s firing range there would be a good start to a broader project.

As Pittsburgh faces financial challenges with the expiration of federal covid-19 relief funds and decreased property tax revenues from Downtown buildings that have lost value since the pandemic, O’Connor said he wants to proactively recruit new businesses, help existing ones and work out deals with nonprofits to chip in to the city’s coffers.

O’Connor promised to be transparent with the public about the state of Pittsburgh’s finances and other issues the city may face. He said he would publish his schedule, something Gainey has declined to do since taking office.

While O’Connor went negative on the Gainey administration, he also painted an optimistic picture for Pittsburgh’s future.

“We can propel Pittsburgh forward so that it is a city that delivers world-class public amenities, abundant housing and diverse employment opportunities,” he said.

His vision for Pittsburgh includes vibrant parks, thriving businesses and enhanced social services. If elected, O’Connor said, he would rip down red tape to make it easier to build housing, invest in neighborhood main streets and “propose realistic budgets that optimize growth.”

Following his father

O’Connor previously served as a Pittsburgh councilman from 2012 until he was named controller in 2022.

He was sworn in as Allegheny County Controller in July 2022, replacing Chelsa Wagner, who was elected as an Allegheny County Common Pleas judge. O’Connor was elected to his first full term in November 2023.

O’Connor on Tuesday touted his work as the county’s fiscal watchdog, looking for ways to improve key services, like homelessness outreach.

He likened Gainey’s strategy of closing some homeless camps only to see their inhabitants living in tents elsewhere in the city to a game of “whack-a-mole,” contrasting that to his vision of stronger investments in housing.

The Gainey administration has also pushed investments in affordable housing, including by funding a $31.6 million affordable housing bond for the Urban Redevelopment Authority, a move that will cost the city $62.5 million over 25 years.

As a councilman, O’Connor said, he helped launch the Housing Opportunity Fund, sponsored legislation requiring city employers to provide paid sick leave to workers and helped usher the city out of a time of financial distress.

Ricky Burgess, a former city councilman, told reporters he supported O’Connor’s vision “to create a better Pittsburgh, a Pittsburgh where communities are strong and thriving.”

Pennsylvania Sen. Wayne Fontana, D-Brookline, said Pittsburgh is struggling financially, and there are fears that the city could return to distressed status and state oversight under Pennsylvania’s Act 47.

“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,” Fontana said in a statement. “Corey O’Connor brings that vision and has a plan through his experience as a city councilperson and as the county’s controller.”

O’Connor’s father, Bob O’Connor, was the city’s 58th mayor. He fell ill soon after taking office and died of brain cancer on Sept. 1, 2006.

O’Connor said he got into public service “to fight for the communities I grew up in.”

“Some say it runs in my blood.”