Overbrook woman announces bid to challenge Anthony Coghill for Pittsburgh council seat

Describing herself as a “public servant and single mom,” Bethani Cameron announced Monday she will challenge Pittsburgh City Councilman Anthony Coghill in the May 2021 Democratic primary for his District 4 council seat.

Cameron, 38, of Overbrook, said she has “the experience and grit to fight for South Pittsburgh.” A familiar face in city hall, she worked in the office of Coghill’s District 4 predecessor, Natalia Rudiak, from 2014 to 2017, served as Councilwoman Deb Gross’ chief of staff until 2019, and worked as a policy analyst for Allegheny County Controller Chelsa Wagner later that year.

?Today I am announcing my candidacy for Pittsburgh City Council to represent the neighborhoods of Beechview, Bon Air, Brookline, Carrick, and Overbrook.
As a single mom, I know what it's like to work with limited resources, and I plan on bringing that skill set to

— Bethani Cameron (@BethaniCameron) December 21, 2020

A Michigan native, she came to the city in 2000 to attend the University of Pittsburgh. She worked for nonprofits and health care. During the coronavirus pandemic, she said, she’s been “tech support for a third-grader,” her 9-year-old son.

the city council to ensure that all neighborhoods are equally represented.
I encourage you to follow the campaign here, on Twitter @bethanicameron, Instagram @bethaniforcitycouncil, or https://t.co/IPzThwrT2l#B4D4https://t.co/H9IFLIoA30

— Bethani Cameron (@BethaniCameron) December 21, 2020

She described herself as a “nerd” who has paid attention to city operations and looked forward to having the chance to grill department heads about their budgets.

“The way I look at it, ‘Are we getting the results that we want?’,” Cameron said of the way things are going in the city.

She’s listened to the concerns people have voiced about the police department. While police need resources, she said more programs are needed to tackle the substance abuse issues and mental health concerns that often result in people interacting with police, “so the same problems don’t keep happening over and over again.”

“We also need to make sure families have the ability to be secure,” she said.

In her announcement, she also cited the need for more union jobs and better maintenance of the South Hills to address flooding issues and other infrastructure problems.

“We are facing challenges we never could have imagined, but if we keep looking out for one another, we can make Pittsburgh a better city for all of us,” Cameron said.

Coghill will finish his first term on council next year. Although he hasn’t formally announced a reelection bid on Monday, he said he intends to run.