Ed Gainey
61st Mayor of Pittsburgh
Assumed office
January 3, 2022 (2022-01-03)
Preceded byBill Peduto
Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
from the 24th district
In office
January 1, 2013 (2013-01-01) – January 3, 2022 (2022-01-03)
Preceded byJoseph Preston Jr.
Succeeded byMartell Covington
Personal details
Born (1970-02-19) February 19, 1970
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseMichelle Coburn
Children3
EducationMorgan State University (BA)
WebsiteCampaign website

Edward C. Gainey (born February 19, 1970) is an American politician who is the 61st mayor of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Previously, he served as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from the 24th district.[1] In November 2021, Gainey became the first African-American to become the mayor of Pittsburgh, and assumed office on January 3, 2022.[2]

Early life and education

Gainey was born and raised in Pittsburgh by a single teenage mom with the help of her mother.[3][4] When he was very young, the family moved from the Hill District neighborhood to Lawn Street in the South Oakland neighborhood, where they were the second black family to live on the street. When he was seven, the family moved to the East Liberty neighborhood. There he attended Peabody High School, where he played basketball, graduating in 1988.[3][4] In 1994, he graduated with his Bachelor's degree in business management from Morgan State University.[3][4][5]

Career

Early on in his career, Gainey spent six years as a legislative aide to Pennsylvania State Representative Joseph Preston Jr.[6] Gainey's early career also included a period as a special projects manager under Pittsburgh Mayor Tom Murphy.[6] During this period, Gainey worked to promote economic development in East Liberty. Gainey and Preston's relationship later soured, and Gainey first posed a primary challenge to Preston in 2004.[6] In 2006, Gainey challenged Preston for the second time, losing by 94 votes.[7]

Gainey later took a position with the City of Pittsburgh under Mayor Luke Ravenstahl in a community development role.[3][8] In 2010, he became chairman of the city's Democratic Party committee.[3][8]

Pennsylvania House of Representatives

In 2012, on his third attempt, Gainey defeated his former boss, Joseph Preston Jr., in a Democratic primary.[8][9] Gainey represented the 24th District from 2013 to 2022.[10] His district included many majority-Black neighborhoods in Pittsburgh, including Homewood, East Liberty, East Hills, and Lincoln-Lemington, plus the demographically similar adjacent municipality of Wilkinsburg. Gainey was a member of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus.[11]

In 2014, while serving in the Pennsylvania state legislature, Gainey joined the board of directors of the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh (URA), Pittsburgh's economic development agency, eventually becoming vice chair.[12][13]

Mayor of Pittsburgh

In January 2021, Gainey announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination in the 2021 Pittsburgh mayoral election.[14] Gainey's opponents included incumbent mayor Bill Peduto, who was running for re-election after two terms in office.[15]

While Peduto won high-profile endorsements from institutional players, including eight out of nine members of Pittsburgh's City Council, as well as Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald and U.S. Representative Mike Doyle, Peduto and Gainey split endorsements from organized labor groups, and Gainey won the endorsement of the Allegheny County Democratic Committee and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.[16][17][18] Gainey attacked Peduto's performance over his two terms as mayor, accusing the incumbent mayor of failing to pursue tax payments from nonprofit healthcare giant UPMC and of squandering an opportunity to improve police–community relations after the shooting of Antwon Rose.[19]

In May 2021, Gainey ousted Peduto in the Democratic Primary 46% to 39%, becoming the Democratic candidate for mayor of Pittsburgh in November's general election.[15] On November 2, 2021, Gainey defeated Republican nominee Tony Moreno with over 70% of the vote, becoming the mayor-elect of Pittsburgh[15] Gainey assumed office as the 61st mayor of Pittsburgh on January 3, 2022.

Personal life

On January 22, 2016, Gainey's younger sister, Janese Talton-Jackson, was shot dead in Pittsburgh's Homewood neighborhood by a man who followed her out of a bar.[20]

Affordable Housing Policies

Pittsburgh is planning to raise millions of dollars to invest in affordable housing.[21] The city will issue a bond to raise the money, which will be used to fund new affordable housing units and preserve existing ones.[22] The goal is to make enough investments to address the city's shortage of affordable housing.[23] The new funding will be used to address a variety of needs, including the preservation of existing affordable housing units, the construction of new affordable housing units, and the provision of assistance to people who are struggling to afford rent.[24]

Additional Policies

One of Ed Gainey's key policies is on climate change and environmental issues.[25] Gainey has pledged to pass a lead ordinance, not privatize PWSA, and work with environmentalists to develop a plan to address climate change.[26] Another policy he plans on enacting is on transit and land use.[27] Gainey has said that he will advocate for better public transportation options, including high-speed rail.[28] He has also said that he supports inclusionary zoning, which would require developers to set aside a percentage of units in new developments for affordable housing.[29]

Electoral history

2021 Pittsburgh Democratic mayoral primary[30]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Ed Gainey 25,784 46.1
Democratic Bill Peduto (incumbent) 22,029 39.4
Republican Tony Moreno 7,390 13.2
Democratic Michael Thompson 669 1.2
Write-in 116 0.2
Total votes 55,988 100
2021 Pittsburgh mayoral election[31]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Ed Gainey 50,165 70.8
Republican Tony Moreno 20,162 28.4
Write-in 558 0.8
Total votes 70,885 100%
Democratic hold

References

  1. ↑ "SESSION OF 2013 - 197TH OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY - No. 1" (PDF). Legislative Journal. Pennsylvania House of Representatives. January 1, 2013.
  2. ↑ "Home Rule Charter of the City of Pittsburgh, Article 2, Section 2.03". City of Pittsburgh. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Rep. Edward C. Gainey Biography". Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus. Retrieved June 6, 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 "Ed Gainey". Allegheny County Democratic Committee.
  5. ↑ "Meet ed - ed Gainey for Mayor". February 23, 2021.
  6. 1 2 3 Mock, Brentin. "Family Feud". Pittsburgh City Paper.
  7. ↑ Delano, Jon (March 29, 2012). "State Rep. Joe Preston Accused Of Forging Petition Signatures". KDKA. Retrieved June 6, 2021.
  8. 1 2 3 "Gainey in the 24th: It's time to replace a veteran but tired incumbent". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
  9. ↑ Fontaine, Tom (April 24, 2021). "Veteran legislator out in 24th District". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
  10. ↑ "Representative Ed Gainey". Pennsylvania General Assembly.
  11. ↑ "Members List". Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus. Retrieved May 7, 2016.
  12. ↑ Schooley, Tim. "StateRep. Ed Gainey joins URA board". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved June 6, 2021.
  13. ↑ "Directory". URA. Archived from the original on June 6, 2021. Retrieved June 6, 2021.
  14. ↑ Staff, WPXI com News (January 20, 2021). "State Rep. Ed Gainey launching campaign for mayor of Pittsburgh". WPXI. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
  15. 1 2 3 Robertson, Campbell (May 19, 2021). "Pittsburgh Is Poised to Have Its First Black Mayor". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
  16. ↑ Deto, Ryan. "Democratic Primary Election 2021: Pittsburgh Mayor". Pittsburgh City Paper.
  17. ↑ "Gainey for mayor of Pittsburgh". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
  18. ↑ "Allegheny County Democratic Committee endorses Gainey for Pittsburgh mayor". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
  19. ↑ "Home | Antwon Rose II Foundation". AntwonRoseFoundation. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
  20. ↑ Whaley, Kacie (January 24, 2016). "Pittsburgh woman killed after turning man down at a bar". Archived from the original on January 25, 2016.
  21. ↑ https://www.wesa.fm/development-transportation/2023-01-10/gainey-administration-plans-a-massive-investment-in-affordable-housing#:~:text=The%20key%20to%20the%20new,housing%20in%20the%20near%20term%2C
  22. ↑ https://www.wesa.fm/development-transportation/2023-01-10/gainey-administration-plans-a-massive-investment-in-affordable housing#:~:text=The%20key%20to%20the%20new,housing%20in%20the%20near%20term%2C
  23. ↑ https://www.wesa.fm/development-transportation/2023-01-10/gainey-administration-plans-a-massive-investment-in-affordable-housing#:~:text=The%20key%20to%20the%20new,housing%20in%20the%20near%20term%2C
  24. ↑ https://www.wesa.fm/development-transportation/2023-01-10/gainey-administration-plans-a-massive-investment-in-affordable-housing#:~:text=The%20key%20to%20the%20new,housing%20in%20the%20near%20term%2C
  25. ↑ https://www.pghcitypaper.com/news/2021-mayoral-candidates-on-pittsburgh-policies-ed-gainey-19205258
  26. ↑ https://www.pghcitypaper.com/news/2021-mayoral-candidates-on-pittsburgh-policies-ed-gainey-19205258
  27. ↑ https://www.pghcitypaper.com/news/2021-mayoral-candidates-on-pittsburgh-policies-ed-gainey-19205258
  28. ↑ https://www.pghcitypaper.com/news/2021-mayoral-candidates-on-pittsburgh-policies-ed-gainey-19205258
  29. ↑ https://www.pghcitypaper.com/news/2021-mayoral-candidates-on-pittsburgh-policies-ed-gainey-19205258
  30. ↑ "Dem Mayor Pittsburgh". Allegh County, PA Election Results. Retrieved May 23, 2021.
  31. ↑ Allegheny County Elections Division (December 17, 2021). "November 2, 2021 Municipal Election – Mayor Pittsburgh". Election Night Reporting – Allegheny County, PA. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
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