Former Pittsburgh Mayor's Son Launches Own Mayoral Bid

PITTSBURGH, PA — After hinting about it for weeks, Allegheny County Controller Corey O'Connor made it official Tuesday by announcing he is running for mayor of Pittsburgh.

O'Connor will square off against Mayor Ed Gainey in the May 20 Democratic primary, which in Pittsburgh is the de facto mayoral election. The city has not had a Republican mayor in nearly a century.

O'Connor, 40, of Point Breeze, announced his candidacy in a morning event at Hazelwood Green.

O'Connor's father, Bob O'Connor, was a longtime city councilman who served nine months as Pittsburgh's mayor in 2006 before dying from a rare form of brain cancer.

O'Connor has been controller since July 2022 after being nominated by former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf and confirmed by the state Senate. He was elected to his first full term in November 2023.

Prior to becoming controller, O'Connor represented Pittsburgh City Council District 5 for a decade. Before being elected to council, he was a community development representative for former U.S. Rep. Mike Doyle.