O'Connor ousts incumbent Mayor Gainey in primary

By the numbers: With 91% of the vote counted, O'Connor leads Gainey 54%-46% and by about 4,300 votes, according to the Associated Press.

• AP called the race for O'Connor just after 10pm Tuesday.

What they're saying: O'Connor declared victory at 10:35pm at a watch party with supporters in Pittsburgh's North Side.

• "I'm ready to get to work, and I'm grateful to have you with me as we take the next steps forward, together," O'Connor posted on X.

Context: O'Connor's father, Bob O'Connor, served as Pittsburgh mayor in 2006 for nine months before he died after complications from lymphoma.

• If victorious in November, Corey O'Connor would join George W. Guthrie (1906-1909) as the only other Pittsburgh mayor whose father was also mayor.

The other side: Gainey conceded the race at about 10:30pm Tuesday. He thanked his supporters at an event on the city's South Side and said he expects O'Connor to build on the accomplishments of his administration, like affordable housing and community investments.

• "Corey O'Connor must be ready to carry forward the transformational progress the people of this city demand," Gainey said in a statement.
• Gainey becomes one of the only Pittsburgh mayors to seek reelection and lose after his first term.

In the GOP primary, former Pittsburgh police officer Tony Moreno defeated small business owner Thomas West. The Associated Press called the race just before 10pm Tuesday.

Between the lines: Democratic voters outnumber Republicans more than 5-1 in the city of Pittsburgh, according to county election officials. A Republican candidate winning in November is a Herculean task in the Democratic-heavy city.

• The GOP hasn't held the mayor's office in over 90 years.

State of play: Some saw the race as a test for progressives in the Trump 2.0 era, and they could attribute Gainey's failure to Democratic voters turning away from some of the party's more left-wing characteristics.

• O'Connor's campaign criticized Gainey and said he failed to run basic city functions, pointing out his inability to hire a permanent police chief.
• The current Allegheny County controller and former City councilmember, O'Connor leaned on his experience in local government during his campaign, and won over more establishment groups like the local Democratic Party and trades unions.

Yes, but: O'Connor and Gainey agreed on a litany of liberal policies, like not cooperating with federal immigration enforcement without warrants, boosting minimum wage and sick leave, and supporting protections for LGBTQ Pittsburghers.

• Many other big city mayors elected during the pandemic and with different ideologies have lost reelection as anti-incumbent fervor spreads.

Friction point: The candidates differed on inclusionary zoning, a rule requiring developers to build a percentage of affordable housing. O'Connor didn't want to expand the rule citywide like Gainey. With the proposal in limbo before the city council, O'Connor's win could lead to a new zoning plan.

Yes won on all three of Pittsburgh's ballot questions.

• Question 1 reaffirms past anti-discrimination rules, but also effectively prevents the city from shunning a business because of its ties to other countries.
• Question 2 bars the city's municipal water authority Pittsburgh Water from being sold to a private company.
• Question 3 adds language to the city charter that could cut off future ballot questions that propose something the city isn't legally able to accomplish.

What's next: O'Connor will face Moreno in the general election on Nov. 4.