Before his election to the city council,Peduto attended Pennsylvania State University,from which he took a leave of absence before completing his degree. He ran a consulting business and later served as chief of staff to his predecessor on the city council,Dan Cohen. Peduto was elected to the council in 2001 and served from 2002 to 2014. During that time,he ran for mayor three times. In 2005,he lost the Democratic primary to Bob O'Connor,who became mayor in 2006. Peduto again ran in a 2007 special election following O'Connor's death,but dropped out before the primary. He ran for mayor for a third time in 2013,winning the Democratic nomination and the general election with 84% of the vote over Joshua Wander and Lester Ludwig. He was inaugurated in January 2014. In the 2017 election,he ran unopposed and was reelected with 96% of the vote. He ran for a third term in May 2021,but lost the Democratic primary to Ed Gainey.[5] Peduto's second term in office ended in January 2022.
Peduto operated a political consulting business and served as general consultant,campaign manager,finance director and other roles for several Democratic candidates and elected officials. At 28,he served as a political director for then Acting Governor Mark Singel. He also worked in Washington,D.C. as an intern to then U.S. Representative George Gekas.[9][10]
Before holding a seat on the city council,Peduto served as chief of staff to former City Councilman Dan Cohen. In 1996 Peduto was Cohen's campaign manager in a challenge to former U.S. Representative Bill Coyne in the Democratic primary. Peduto is reported to have urged Cohen to accuse Coyne of complacency in obtaining federal funding and other resources for the Pittsburgh area.[11] Cohen lost by a wide margin,which some pundits attributed to voter dislike of his negative advertising.[12]
In the 2001 election,Peduto ran for the Pittsburgh City Council District 8 seat being vacated by Cohen,which represents the East End neighborhoods of Bloomfield,Friendship,Oakland,Point Breeze,Shadyside and Squirrel Hill. After being elected to a four-year term,he assumed office in January 2002. He was reelected in 2005 and 2009.[9]
On the city council,Peduto chaired the Committee on General Services,Technology and the Arts,which is in charge of all contracts and purchases as well as city-owned buildings and land. He also oversaw the City Information Systems department,the Cable Bureau and the Art Commission on Council. Peduto has called himself a proponent of progressivism and a "Reform Democrat."[13] He was named one of "100 New Democrats to Watch" by the Democratic Leadership Council in 2003 and one of National Journal's "PA Up and Comers" in 2004 and 2006.[14]
First and second mayoral campaigns
Peduto launched his first campaign for mayor of Pittsburgh in 2005. He lost the primary to eventual general election winner Bob O'Connor. In 2006,after O'Connor died,City Council President Luke Ravenstahl became Mayor. In his second bid for mayor,Peduto mounted a primary challenge to Ravenstahl in the 2007 special election,but ended his campaign before the primary,acknowledging Ravenstahl's popularity.[15] Peduto faced criticism for this decision from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette editorial board,which accused him of "political cowardice."[16]
Peduto became a political opponent of Ravenstahl's,opposing Ravenstahl's proposal to end Act 47 oversight of Pittsburgh's finances,among other issues. After being reelected to the city council in 2009,he again challenged Ravenstahl in the 2013 Democratic primary.[9]
In December 2012,Peduto officially launched his third mayoral campaign,announcing that he would challenge Ravenstahl in the 2013 mayoral primary,and was immediately endorsed by Allegheny County ExecutiveRich Fitzgerald. He simultaneously announced that he would not seek reelection to the city council.[17] Ravenstahl announced in March 2013 that he would not seek another term as mayor.[18] Several other candidates launched campaigns,but after Ravenstahl's exit,it became a two-way race between Peduto and former Pennsylvania Auditor GeneralJack Wagner. In the May 21 primary,Peduto defeated his opponents,receiving 52% of the vote. Wagner,his closest challenger,received 40%.[19][20]
In November 2013,Peduto defeated Republican candidate Joshua Wander,who lived in Israel at the time of the election,and independent candidate Lester Ludwig,receiving 84% of the vote. He was inaugurated on January 6,2014.[4][1]
Early in his term,Peduto made modernizing Pittsburgh's government a priority. Particular focus was given to the newly created Department of Permits,Licenses,and Inspections which replaced the former Bureau of Building Inspection. Prior to 2014,the Department had only 10 computers for 80 staff members and no online permitting. Today,the City of Pittsburgh has a fully online permitting system.[21]
Peduto is an advocate for ride-sharing in Pittsburgh. After the Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission issued cease-and-desist orders in July 2014,Peduto called on the state legislature to allow ride-sharing operators to legally operate in Pittsburgh.[22] Subsequently,ride-sharing service Lyft acquired temporary approval for operation in August 2014 pending a hearing regarding a permanent license.[23]
In July 2014,Peduto and the City of Pittsburgh dropped a lawsuit that Ravenstahl had launched against UPMC,challenging its tax-exempt status. Peduto said the suit impeded progress in ongoing negotiations between UPMC and the city on taxes.[24]
In early September 2014,Peduto announced the hiring of Cameron McLay as Pittsburgh Chief of Police,which resulted from an extended search following the resignation and subsequent conviction of Nate Harper on charges of tax evasion and slush fund conspiracy.[25]
Peduto appeared on the CBS television series Undercover Boss in December 2014 as "Ed Chadwick". Following the premise of the show,Peduto disguised himself as a municipal worker to observe rank-and-file Pittsburgh employees. As is customary in the show,Peduto rewarded those whose performance was judged to be exemplary with monetary donations. These donations came from anonymous sources,since ethics laws bar the use of tax revenue. Common Cause Pennsylvania,a government watchdog group,called on the Peduto administration to disclose the donors shortly after the episode aired.[26][27]
In a statement on Twitter in the run-up to the 2018 primary elections,Peduto announced his support for the legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes.[28]
In 2019,Peduto introduced multiple proposals to city council to restrict firearms access. The bills were eventually passed by the city council after months of heated debate.[29] The bills were met with heavy resistance with lawsuits being threatened,until the city decided to not enforce the laws they passed.
Peduto's tenure also included record investments in Pittsburgh's parks system. He successfully pushed for the passage of a local parks tax referendum to support capital projects.
Between 2019 and 2020,Peduto announced steps to turn around Pittsburgh's long-troubled Water and Sewer Authority. After making leadership changes and major investments,the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority announced its lowest lead levels in 25 years.[30]
On August 18,2020,Pittsburgh residents protesting police brutality demonstrated outside Peduto's home,staying until 10am the next day,[31] when police officers declared the assembly unlawful. Later on the 19th,Peduto released a statement criticizing the protests,saying that any demonstration in his residential area "crosses a line that cannot be allowed to continue".[32] The mayor's office later announced that Peduto would be at his home that evening to speak to protesters.
Reelection campaigns
Peduto announced on December 14,2016,that he was running for reelection in 2017.[33] He faced two challengers in the May primary:John Welch,a progressive minister who challenged Peduto from the left,and city councilwoman Darlene Harris,a longtime foe,who had not filed an official campaign organization. He defeated both to win the Democratic nomination,and did not face any Republican candidate in the general election,as none filed to run in the primary.[34] Peduto was reelected with approximately 96% of the ballots cast on November 7,2017.[35]
In January 2021,Peduto formally announced his intention to seek a third term in the 2021 election.[36] He lost the May Democratic primary to Ed Gainey.[5]
Robert E. O'Connor Jr. was an American politician who was the Mayor of Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania from January 3,2006,until his death.
Jack E. Wagner is an American Democratic politician from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He served as Pennsylvania Auditor General,and previously served in the State Senate and Pittsburgh City Council.
Luke Robert Ravenstahl is an American politician who served as the 59th Mayor of Pittsburgh from 2006 until 2014. A Democrat,he became the youngest mayor in Pittsburgh's history in September 2006 at the age of 26. He was among the youngest mayors of a major city in American history.
The mayoral election of 2007 in Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania was a special election held on Tuesday,November 6,2007. The incumbent mayor,Luke Ravenstahl of the Democratic Party faced Republican challenger Mark DeSantis,a telecommunications executive and adjunct professor at Carnegie Mellon University. The race was notable for the strength of its Republican challenger,rare in Pittsburgh,and the election of such a young mayor,Ravenstahl being 27 years old at the time. Ravenstahl was elected with a comfortable margin in an election marked by unusually cold weather but record voter turnout.
Jake Wheatley Jr. is an American politician who served as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from the 19th district,covering the Hill District,North Side,South Side,Allentown,Hazelwood,Downtown Pittsburgh,The Bluff,Knoxville,Beltzhoover,Manchester,Arlington,Arlington Heights,and North,South and West Oakland.
Pittsburgh held a mayoral election on November 3,2009. Incumbent mayor Luke Ravenstahl,a Democrat,defeated his two independent challengers by a wide margin. The 2009 election was the first regular-cycle election in which Ravenstahl participated;he was originally appointed as an interim mayor to succeed Bob O'Connor and subsequently won a special election in 2007.
Patrick Dowd is a Democratic Party politician in the United States. From 2008 until 2013,he served as a member of the Pittsburgh City Council from District 7,which includes the neighborhoods of Bloomfield,East Liberty,Friendship,Garfield,Highland Park,Lawrenceville,Morningside,Polish Hill,and Stanton Heights.
The mayoral election of 2005 in Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania was held on Tuesday,November 8,2005. The incumbent mayor,Tom Murphy of the Democratic Party chose not to run for what would have been a record fourth straight term.
The 2014 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election was held on November 4,2014,to elect the governor and lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania,concurrently with elections to the United States Senate in other states and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections.
The 2013 Pittsburgh mayoral election took place on November 5,2013. Democrat Bill Peduto was elected the 60th Mayor of Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania. The primary election was held on May 21,2013. Incumbent Democratic Mayor Luke Ravenstahl,although eligible for a second full term,did not seek reelection as Mayor of Pittsburgh.
The Pittsburgh Mayoral Chief of Staff is the senior advisor,strategic planner and "gatekeeper" to the Mayor of Pittsburgh of Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania.
Erin C. Molchany is an American politician and a former member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. She also previously served as the Southwest Director for Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf. She is member of the Democratic Party.
Edward C. Gainey is an American politician who is the 61st mayor of Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania. Previously,he served as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from the 24th district. In November 2021,Gainey became the first African-American to become the mayor of Pittsburgh and assumed office on January 3,2022.
The 2017 Pittsburgh mayoral election took place on November 7,2017. The primary election was held on May 16,2017. Incumbent Democratic Mayor Bill Peduto successfully ran for re-election to a second term. Three Democrats,including Peduto,and no Republicans filed petitions to appear on the respective primary ballots before the deadline on March 7,2017. Peduto won the Democratic primary and was officially unopposed in the general election.
Michael Lamb is an American politician and attorney who served as Controller of the City of Pittsburgh from 2008 to 2024. He was most recently a candidate for Allegheny County executive,but was defeated in the Democratic Primary by Sara Innamorato.
The 2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Pennsylvania were held on November 8,2022,to elect representatives for the seventeen seats in Pennsylvania.
The 2021 Pittsburgh mayoral election took place on November 2,2021. The primary election was held on May 18,2021. The Democratic nominee,State Representative Ed Gainey,defeated the Republican nominee,retired police officer Tony Moreno.
Emily Kinkead is an American politician. She is a Democrat in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. In 2020,Kinkead was elected to represent District 20,which encompasses several communities in Pittsburgh and Allegheny County.
The 2023 Allegheny County Executive election was held on November 7,2023,to elect the next chief executive of Allegheny County,Pennsylvania.
↑ Patterson, Maggie; Anitra Budd; Kristin L. Veatch (July 1997). "Campaign Up in Flames: Negative Advertising Backfires and Damages a Young Democrat". Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Association for Education in Journalism (80th, Chicago, Illinois, July 30-August 2, 1997). U.S. Department of Education. Education Resources Information Center (ERIC). pp.85–109, 309.
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