Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey, a Democrat, lost to Allegheny County Controller Corey O’Connor in the city’s Democratic mayoral primary.

Gainey’s defeat is a blow to progressives in their heated inter-party fighting with center-left Democrats.

#BREAKING: Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey ousted in blow to progressives https://t.co/rF6VBCsyLE

— The Hill (@thehill) May 21, 2025

The Hill reports:

The race in the heavily Democratic city, which hasn’t elected a Republican mayor in more than 90 years, is the latest battle between the progressive and moderate wings of the party following its loss in the presidential election in November.

Gainey was first elected four years ago after ousting then-incumbent Mayor Bill Peduto (D) in the Democratic primary, going on to easily win the general election.

While serving as mayor, Gainey has emphasized concentrating on the root causes of crime, investing in affordable housing, public spaces and infrastructure and increasing the use of renewable energy. He’s touted a drop in the city’s homicides as an accomplishment while campaigning.

ADVERTISEMENT

But O’Connor has gone after Gainey’s record on various issues, with much of the focus of the race being on the city’s budget.

A report from the city controller’s office warned last year that the city is running out of money in its reserve account, and O’Connor has blamed Gainey for mismanagement. Gainey has acknowledged that the city will have a tight budget in the coming years but dismissed some of the more concerning outlooks that some have raised.

Pittsburgh mayoral primary sees major upset as ‘old guard’ candidate defeats progressive incumbent Ed Gainey https://t.co/1wzQHGQOKT

— Fox News (@FoxNews) May 21, 2025

Per Fox News:

O’Connor received support from some Republican donors, as well as the “old guard” Democratic base, according to The New York Times.

“This is an election about Pittsburgh, about how we get our city back on the right track. It’s laughable to make arguments about progressive/not progressive. The outside groups that are meddling, I guarantee you – they haven’t looked at the records of either one of us,” O’Connor told the paper.

O’Connor’s campaign has also shown support for the resourcing of the police and his own plan to revitalize the downtown area. He has also received large outside contributions from groups like Common Sense Change Action and Democracy Wins, according to the Post-Gazette.

Gainey took office as the Steel City’s first Black mayor after defeating incumbent Mayor Bill Peduto in 2021. He has cast himself on the national stage as a critic of President Donald Trump and his agenda, while also working to attract new business to Pittsburgh — including the 2026 NFL Draft, which is estimated to bring a $200 million economic boost to the area, according to a source familiar.

Gainey also previously pledged not to cooperate with federal ICE operations and has called Trump’s budget cuts a “direct attack on working families” and the economy of Western Pennsylvania.