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In the Pittsburgh mayoral contest set for Tuesday, Democrat Corey O’Connor is poised to take on Republican Tony Moreno. O’Connor is widely seen as the frontrunner in a city historically dominated by Democratic leadership, with no Republican mayor elected in several decades.
O’Connor, who currently serves as the Allegheny County controller and was a former city councilman, emerged victorious over incumbent Ed Gainey in the Democratic primary held on May 20. On the other side, Moreno, a veteran city police officer with 24 years of service, is making another bid for the mayoralty after previously challenging Gainey in 2021.
The campaign spotlighted crucial issues like city finances, public safety, and affordable housing. Both contenders voiced criticisms of Gainey’s administration, highlighting the financial challenges confronting the city. Their stances diverged on several topics, including immigration and police funding. Both O’Connor and Moreno expressed a preference for a less adversarial approach towards the city’s tax-exempt nonprofits, contrasting with Gainey’s strategy of litigation.
Financial disclosures from the campaign underscore a significant gap in fundraising between the two. By mid-September, O’Connor had amassed $1.69 million, retaining $270,000 in reserves, whereas Moreno reported having about $4,000 available. This puts O’Connor’s financial resources at more than 60 times greater than Moreno’s.
Campaign finance records reveal a stark fundraising disparity between the candidates. Through mid-September, O’Connor raised $1.69 million with $270,000 on hand, while Moreno had roughly $4,000 on hand. O’Connor’s substantial financial advantage is more than 60 times that of Moreno.
The race also featured significant outside spending, with each Democratic primary candidate benefiting from more than $600,000 in spending from independent groups during O’Connor’s contest against Gainey.
During debates, both addressed whether taxes would be raised, with Moreno saying, “I won’t raise taxes. We don’t need to raise taxes.”
O’Connor responded. “At this point, we don’t even know the numbers.”
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Polls in Pennsylvania close at 8 p.m. ET Tuesday. Follow election results for the Pittsburgh mayoral race in the tracker below:
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