What to expect on Pittsburgh's primary ballots

Pittsburghers voting in Tuesday’s primary will select the candidate to represent their party in November’s general election for mayor and, in some wards, for City Council.

They will weigh in on a series of ballot referendums and openings for judges on Allegheny County Common Pleas and appellate courts. They’ll also vote for county sheriff and, in some areas, County Council and school board members.

Polls are open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. Anyone who is in line by 8 p.m. will be able to vote.

Democrats and Republicans will vote for the candidates they want to represent their party in the Nov. 4 general election.

All voters — including those not registered as Democrats or Republicans — can vote on the ballot referendums.

Here’s what voters can expect to see on their ballots:

Mayor

On the Democratic ticket, incumbent Mayor Ed Gainey faces a strong challenger in Allegheny County Controller Corey O’Connor.

Gainey, 55, of Lincoln-Lemington is a former state representative who unseated former Mayor Bill Peduto in the 2021 election.

On the campaign trail, he touted the reduction in homicides the city has seen during his first three years in office and highlighted his efforts to build more affordable housing. The mayor often talks about the $600 million Downtown revitalization efforts now underway and the city’s successful bid to host the 2026 NFL Draft as key wins for his administration.

The city has also grown in the past year, according to a census report.

O’Connor, 40, of Point Breeze is a former city councilman and son of the late Mayor Bob O’Connor.

He has criticized Gainey for instability at the top of the police bureau, plummeting Downtown property values and a fear from some that Downtown is unsafe. O’Connor has argued the city needs new leadership to guide the budget through financial challenges, convince nonprofits to provide payments in lieu of taxes and recruit more police officers.

The winner of that race in November will face off against the winner of the Republican primary.

Republican voters will choose between retired police officer Tony Moreno and small business owner Thomas West.

Moreno, 56, of Brighton Heights, spent 24 years as a Pittsburgh police officer. He came in third in the 2021 Democratic mayoral primary behind Gainey and Peduto. He then ran as a Republican in the general election, losing to Gainey.

West, 48, of Highland Park, owns a men’s clothing store in Lawrenceville. He previously worked as a television news producer at WTAE and WPXI.

Both GOP candidates have argued the city has suffered under a century-long streak of Democratic mayors. They pitch themselves as change makers who would bring fresh ideas to a city that has long seen one party hold power.

Referendums

There will be three referendums on all ballots, regardless of party.

The first will ask whether the city’s Home Rule Charter should prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, religion, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, age, gender identity or expression, disability, place of birth, national origin or affiliation with any nation or foreign state in conducting business with the city.

In essence, voters will determine whether the city can discriminate when it chooses with which companies to do business.

City Council voted to place the question on the ballot in response to a pro-Palestinian group that had pushed to stop Pittsburgh from doing business with any company that has ties to Israel.

Some officials said such a move would grind basic city functions to a halt, barring Pittsburgh from doing business with car companies, tech giants and others.

Another question on the ballot is also a response to that anti-Israel effort.

It will ask voters to prohibit using the Home Rule Charter amendment process to add rules that conflict with federal or state laws.

An unrelated ballot question will ask voters to decide whether the city should be barred from leasing or selling its water and sewer systems to private entities.

The city’s charter currently would allow the city to sell those utilities to private companies or individuals.

City Council

There are no contested primary races for City Council this year.

District 2 — which includes Banksville, Chartiers City, Crafton Heights, Duquesne Heights, Mount Washington, East Carnegie, Elliott, Esplen, Fairywood, Oakwood, South Shore, Sheraden, West End, Westwood and Windgap — will elect a new council member for the first time in a decade this year as incumbent Councilwoman Theresa Kail-Smith is not seeking another term.

The lone Democrat in the race is Kim Salinetro, Kail-Smith’s longtime chief of staff.

Salinetro, 58, of Banksville, told TribLive her experience working with Kail-Smith makes her uniquely familiar with the needs of the district. She wants to attract more investment to the district and convert blighted properties into housing.

On the Republican side, Erin Koper, 44, of Elliott, is the sole candidate.

She drew attention when she criticized Pittsburgh’s Democratic leaders at the Republican National Convention. She wants to hire more police officers and clean up homeless camps.

In District 6, Council President R. Daniel Lavelle is the only Democrat running.

Lavelle, of the Hill District, was sworn in as a councilman in 2010 and was selected as its president last year.

The Republican ballot’s lone candidate for that district is Jacob Dumont, 33, of Marshall-Shadeland, who operates Northside Action Media, an online platform covering local news.

He told TribLive he’s running because he’s tired of the city’s one-party government.

District 6 includes Perry Hilltop, the Hill District, Marshall-Shadeland, Uptown, Manchester, California-Kirkbride and parts of Downtown and the North Shore.

In District 4, Councilman Anthony Coghill is unopposed on the Democratic ballot. Tracy Larger, a 58-year-old advertising consultant from Brookline, is the sole Republican running.

Coghil, of Beechview, was sworn in as a councilman in 2018.

District 4 includes Beechview, Bon Air, Brookline, Carrick, Mount Washington and Overbrook.

Councilwoman Erika Strassburger is the only Democrat on the ticket for District 8. There are no Republican candidates.

Strassburger, of Squirrel Hill, took her seat on council in 2018.

District 8 includes Shadyside, Squirrel Hill and part of Oakland.

Correction: This story has been updated to include candidate Tracy Larger, who is running on the Republican ticket for City Council in District 4.