Voters in Pittsburgh elected the city’s first black mayor to office in a landslide on Tuesday.
Ed Gainey, a Democratic member of the state House of Representatives, was projected the winner with a substantial lead over Republican opponent Tony Moreno, a former police officer, according to TribLive.
Gainey, 51, earned 71.2% of the vote compared to Moreno, who earned 28.8% of the vote with 96% of the city’s precincts releasing their unofficial election results that evening.
“This victory isn’t just my victory, it’s a Pittsburgh victory,” Gainey wrote in a statement on Twitter. “This City never gave up on me, no matter how tough it got, and I will always believe in Pittsburgh.”
STATE BUDGET OKS PITTSBURGH’S SCOOTER SHARE PILOT PROGRAM
Initially, Moreno ran on the Democratic ticket for the primary in May, finishing third after current Mayor Bill Peduto and Gainey. However, Moreno received enough write-in votes for him to run on the GOP side.
“We can create a city where everybody feels welcome,” Gainey told the crowd at his election night party. “When we do that, we win as a people.”
This victory isn’t just my victory, it’s a Pittsburgh victory. This City never gave up on me, no matter how tough it got, and I will always believe in Pittsburgh. I know that we can bring this City together. Our rivers and valleys keep us apart… /1 pic.twitter.com/83edpyiEQH
— Ed Gainey (@gainey_ed) November 3, 2021
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Gainey previously made history in May when he became the first opponent to defeat an incumbent mayor in Pittsburgh since 1933, according to WPXI. Peduto had been seeking a third term as mayor.
The Washington Examiner reached out to Ed Gainey for a statement but did not immediately receive a response.
