The City of Pittsburgh is poised to see some new blood in council, and in the office of its financial watchdog this year. City Council’s two longest-serving members, and the city’s longtime controller, are on their way out. And with Pittsburgh’s heavy Democratic tilt, the race to replace most of these seats is decided in the primary.
According to unofficial vote totals Tuesday night, 1Hood Power director Khari Mosley beat financial broker Khadijah Harris by a margin of more than two-to-one for City Council's 9th district. The race marks the first time the office will be held by someone other than Ricky Burgess since 2008.
"Successful campaigns come down to having a good organization, a compelling message and strong execution," Mosley told WESA Tuesday. "I'm really proud of the positive message we communicated to the voters to inspire and uplift people."
District 9 is one of Pittsburgh's two majority-Black districts. It connects neighborhoods that include East Liberty, Friendship, Garfield, Homewood, Larmier, Lincoln-Lemington, and portions of Point Breeze.
Mosley is no stranger to campaigning. He's long been active in local Democratic circles, having worked on other candidates’ city council campaigns, Bill Peduto’s first run for mayor and several state House campaigns.
Another Council district where change in on the way is District 3, where council staffer Bob Charland ran uncontested for the nomination to replace his current boss, Bruce Kraus. The district includes the South Side, portions of Oakland and southern “hilltop” neighborhoods such as Allentown, Arlington and Beltzhoover.
Charland has made the case that he’s well-positioned to help shepherd the district through what he calls a “transitional time” when suburban communities are growing while the city population remains flat.
“I’ve been in people’s backyards looking at the tree that [fell] down or dealing with a pothole in front of their house. Getting seniors signed up for rental rebates,” he told WESA in March. “I know what this office can do, and I also know what it can’t do.”
In the remaining City Council races up for grabs this year, three incumbent members fended off challengers.
Bobby Wilson trounced primary challenger Steven Oberst to hold onto his council seat. Wilson represents District 1, which includes North Side neighborhoods and the Strip District. His campaign highlighted his record on Council, which includes sponsoring a bill that required bereavement time for city workers who experience pregnancy loss, and another measure aimed at helping residents with medical debt.
"I'm looking forward to tackling larger issues that affect the district," Wilson said Tuesday. "Any issue the city is facing, you can find in District 1."
Council’s newest member, Barb Warwick, successfully defended an office she was only sworn into five months ago. Her district 5 includes neighborhoods like Glen Hazel, Greenfield, Hazelwood, Lincoln Place and part of Squirrel Hill. She replaced Corey O’Connor in a special election last fall, but faced a challenger in first-time candidate Lita Brillman Tuesday.
Warwick’s campaign echoed the sentiments of her successful previous run: her experience as a community organizer prepared her to fight for transit, housing and other issues in office.
“This is a win for everyone who has been working so hard for this for a year," Warwick said. "I'm excited to have that weight lifted so now I can just really [focus] on the job at hand. She cited public transit and adding a grocery store in Hazelwood as two top priorities.
Deb Gross successfully defended her District 7 seat against political newcomer Jordan Botta. District 7 includes neighborhoods such as Bloomfield, Highland Park, Lawrenceville, Polish Hill and Stanton Heights. Gross cited her effective campaign messaging for her victory Tuesday.
"I talked to voters about affordable housing and child care, food Justice, protecting public assets and creating safe streets, and investing in workers and small businesses," she said. "I am grateful to the voters for their support for another term on council."
City Controller
In the Democratic primary for the Pittsburgh City Controller's office, current Deputy Controller Rachael Heisler took a commanding lead early in the night. Since no Republican ran, it’s almost certain that Heisler will take the seat in the fall. The race ushers in a new era for the city’s financial watchdog, as the office will be led by someone other than Michael Lamb for the first time in 15 years.
"I said at the beginning that no one would ever outwork me and that is the mantra that I've carried with me," she told WESA Tuesday. "I feel exceedingly thankful for the support that I've received. We've knocked 9,100 doors as a campaign."
Heisler said she will prioritize seeking new revenue streams to keep the city’s finances stable after federal pandemic aid dries up.
"Most Pittsburghers remember Act 47 and don't want to return to that," Heisler said, referring to a protracted period in which the city was under state financial oversight. "Someone with my experience brings [that knowledge] to the table."
She told WESA in December that she would also prioritize making local government more accessible.
“You have an entire generation of people who still want to deal with somebody in person. I think it’s really important that all departments, all branches of government meet people where they are.”
Though the controller’s office does not set a policy agenda, Lamb has frequently weighed in on policy debates, either with audits of city functions or in statements of his own. Heisler appears poised to take a similar approach.
She has previously been outspoken about the city’s need to negotiate more contributions from Pittsburgh’s largest nonprofits. Lamb’s office has characterized a Gainey administration effort to boost the city’s tax rolls by taxing nonprofit property owners as insufficient.
All three controller candidates stressed a need for the city to negotiate more contributions from nonprofits like UPMC.
Mark DePasquale, a city Public Works project manager who has also served on pension boards, also cited saving taxpayer dollars and “the safety of our neighborhoods, including Downtown,” as two issues he’d pay close attention to. DePasquale campaigned in favor of giving minority-owned businesses city contracts. He is the son of a former city council member and the uncle of a former state auditor general.
Tracy Royston, a former lieutenant Allegheny County Controller who led that office on an interim basis last year, also called on UPMC to contribute more to the city. She campaigned for tougher oversight of Pittsburgh Public Schools and an office listening tour to align her priorities with residents.
