Pittsburgh Mayoral Race 2025: O'Connor, Moreno Battle It Out

PITTSBURGH PA — Nearly 20 years after the death of his father, former Pittsburgh Mayor Bob O'Connor, Corey O'Connor is all but assured of following in his footsteps.

O'Connor, 40, of Point Breeze, defeated Mayor Ed Gainey in May's Democratic primary election after a combative campaign that focused on Gainey's handling of public safety issues and city finances. O'Connor currently is the Allegheny County controller.

In the Nov. 4 general election O'Connor will face former city police officer Tony Moreno, who won the Republican nomination.

O'Connor likely will win the election in a city that has an overwhelming Democratic registration edge and has not elected a Republican mayor in nearly a century.

"I’m going to bring a decade of experience on city council and three years as county controller to the mayor’s office," he recently told the League of Woman Voters of Greater Pittsburgh.

"I’m ready on day one to be a mayor for everyone. Residents’ concerns and priorities will be my concerns and my priorities. I’m going to take their quality of life concerns seriously and treat them as a real priority, not an afterthought. We need a government that’s able to effectively and consistently deliver its core services because everyone in Pittsburgh deserves better."

Moreno, an airborne combat veteran and retired 24-year police detective, said he lives his life in service to the country and city.

"I have spent time in all 90 neighborhoods of our city and I have a unique understanding of our diversity," he said.

"I navigated the city’s policies and budgets while fighting for the rights of union members, residence and businesses in Pittsburgh. During the incredible growth downtown from 2009-2015 I successfully
managed the issues of homelessness, mental illness and addiction."

O'Connor said it's the mayor's duty to serve each neighborhood equitably and ensure they can be uniquely resilient and vibrant.

"I’ll do that by coordinating decision- and policy-making with leaders of every council district, and connecting our region’s network of resources with each neighborhood to create equity in how we deliver programming and services."

Moreno said he would create a department of neighborhoods that connects directly to the mayor's office.

"This will give transparency and accountability to your elected officials and make communication with your government easier," he said. It will ensure when issues are addressed, (and that) all departments that are affected communicate and work together to resolve all issues."