Pittsburgh to decide on a new mayor: Moreno vs. O’Connor

On Election Day, Pittsburghers will elect a new mayor. Allegheny County Controller and Democrat Corey O’Connor will face retired police officer and Republican Tony Moreno after both winning their parties ticket in May.WHO IS COREY O’CONNORVideo below: O’Connor’s Primary Win SpeechCorey O’Connor, 40, grew up in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood and currently lives in Point Breeze with his wife Katie and their two children.O’Connor attended Duquesne University where he studied early childhood education and later worked for then-U.S. Rep. Mike Doyle, where he handled community development.In 2011, O’Connor was elected to Pittsburgh City Council, representing District 5.In 2022, former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf nominated O’Connor to fill the vacancy in the Allegheny County Controller’s office when Chelsa Wagner left to serve as judge.In November 2023, O’Connor was elected to a full term as the county controller. He continues to serve in that role.ISSUES: AFFORDABLE HOUSINGO’Connor says he wants to help “residents access safe, stable, and most importantly, affordable,” housing. He says he wants to help residents find resources for repairs or accessibility modifications.According to his campaign website, he is looking to fix the permit and zoning system, encourage housing abundance and affordability and work with Urban Redevelopment Authority to use the Housing Opportunity fund. O’Connor proposes a transit-oriented development zoning overlay district.O’Connor says he is committed to encouraging a ‘wide-scale’ production of new housing units and workforce housing and wants to prioritize helping those who are homeless stay off the street.”I believe that we could have affordable housing in every neighborhood, but you need leadership and someone at the table who is willing to negotiate,” O’Connor said during a debate with Gainey at the WTAE studios on April 22.ISSUES: PUBLIC SAFETYO’Connor said Pittsburgh is currently struggling to “administer public safety functions.” O’Connor said he wants to ‘adequately’ fund and staff public safety services, restore dedicated community and neighborhood resource policing units, further develop the co-responder program and establish public safety resource hubs.In addition, O’Connor says he wants to create accessible and open public safety dashboards that will include data and crime with year-over-year trends.”Police and EMS stations are closing overnight because of staffing shortages, severely impacting the City’s ability to respond to emergency situations and keep residents safe. This is unacceptable. The City has been plagued by difficulties with recruitment and retention for years, placing undue stress on the Police, Fire, and EMS services that comprise the Department of Public Safety.”During a live debate at WTAE studios against Mayor Gainey on April 22, O’Connor also said public safety will be improved if the city figures out its next steps regarding a police chief.”It comes to the chief of police and how we don’t even have one,” O’Connor said. “This is our fifth one in three and a half years. People still feel uncomfortable coming into the city. There are still offices that don’t have people back in the city because they are worried.”WHO IS TONY MORENOVideo Below: Moreno’s Primary Win SpeechTony Moreno, 56, of Brighton Heights, enlisted in the military out of high school and served as an Army Airborne police officer before going on to the police academy. After moving east with his former wife, he came to Pittsburgh and landed a job with the Pittsburgh Bureau of police, where he served for 24 years.In 2021, Moreno ran for Pittsburgh mayor and lost to Gainey.He was the first Republican to announce his candidacy in the 2025 mayoral race.ISSUES: PUBLIC SAFETYMoreno says his first priority if he becomes mayor of the city is to restore Pittsburgh to full-service police and hire officers.When it comes to public safety, Moreno says he has proven the success of managing (public safety) issues as an acting Pittsburgh police officer in keeping Market Square free from drugs and panhandling.The goal: “Simply use law enforcement officers to enforce current laws and ordinances.”ISSUES: ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTTo focus on economic development in the city, Moreno says it all starts with safety on the Northside with community policing to enforce local, state and federal laws.Moreno wants to make Pittsburgh the world headquarters of AI, data storage and bitcoin mining.”The federal government made it clear that the U.S. wants to lead in artificial intelligence. Pittsburgh should be the headquarters,” Moreno said. He also wants to develop a relationship with UPMC for money that could be used to fund healthcare for all city employees.”We could put together corporate sponsorship plan with the (UPMC & AGH) instead of fighting with them and also possibly have the health systems fund trades training for the inner-city youth provided by these nonprofits,” Moreno said.

PITTSBURGH —

On Election Day, Pittsburghers will elect a new mayor. Allegheny County Controller and Democrat Corey O’Connor will face retired police officer and Republican Tony Moreno after both winning their parties ticket in May.

WHO IS COREY O’CONNOR

Video below: O’Connor’s Primary Win Speech

Corey O’Connor, 40, grew up in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood and currently lives in Point Breeze with his wife Katie and their two children.

O’Connor attended Duquesne University where he studied early childhood education and later worked for then-U.S. Rep. Mike Doyle, where he handled community development.

In 2011, O’Connor was elected to Pittsburgh City Council, representing District 5.

In 2022, former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf nominated O’Connor to fill the vacancy in the Allegheny County Controller’s office when Chelsa Wagner left to serve as judge.

In November 2023, O’Connor was elected to a full term as the county controller. He continues to serve in that role.

ISSUES: AFFORDABLE HOUSING

O’Connor says he wants to help “residents access safe, stable, and most importantly, affordable,” housing. He says he wants to help residents find resources for repairs or accessibility modifications.

According to his campaign website, he is looking to fix the permit and zoning system, encourage housing abundance and affordability and work with Urban Redevelopment Authority to use the Housing Opportunity fund. O’Connor proposes a transit-oriented development zoning overlay district.

O’Connor says he is committed to encouraging a ‘wide-scale’ production of new housing units and workforce housing and wants to prioritize helping those who are homeless stay off the street.

“I believe that we could have affordable housing in every neighborhood, but you need leadership and someone at the table who is willing to negotiate,” O’Connor said during a debate with Gainey at the WTAE studios on April 22.

ISSUES: PUBLIC SAFETY

O’Connor said Pittsburgh is currently struggling to “administer public safety functions.” O’Connor said he wants to ‘adequately’ fund and staff public safety services, restore dedicated community and neighborhood resource policing units, further develop the co-responder program and establish public safety resource hubs.

In addition, O’Connor says he wants to create accessible and open public safety dashboards that will include data and crime with year-over-year trends.

“Police and EMS stations are closing overnight because of staffing shortages, severely impacting the City’s ability to respond to emergency situations and keep residents safe. This is unacceptable. The City has been plagued by difficulties with recruitment and retention for years, placing undue stress on the Police, Fire, and EMS services that comprise the Department of Public Safety.”

During a live debate at WTAE studios against Mayor Gainey on April 22, O’Connor also said public safety will be improved if the city figures out its next steps regarding a police chief.

“It comes to the chief of police and how we don’t even have one,” O’Connor said. “This is our fifth one in three and a half years. People still feel uncomfortable coming into the city. There are still offices that don’t have people back in the city because they are worried.”

WHO IS TONY MORENO

Video Below: Moreno’s Primary Win Speech

Tony Moreno, 56, of Brighton Heights, enlisted in the military out of high school and served as an Army Airborne police officer before going on to the police academy. After moving east with his former wife, he came to Pittsburgh and landed a job with the Pittsburgh Bureau of police, where he served for 24 years.

In 2021, Moreno ran for Pittsburgh mayor and lost to Gainey.

He was the first Republican to announce his candidacy in the 2025 mayoral race.

ISSUES: PUBLIC SAFETY

Moreno says his first priority if he becomes mayor of the city is to restore Pittsburgh to full-service police and hire officers.

When it comes to public safety, Moreno says he has proven the success of managing (public safety) issues as an acting Pittsburgh police officer in keeping Market Square free from drugs and panhandling.

The goal: “Simply use law enforcement officers to enforce current laws and ordinances.”

ISSUES: ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

To focus on economic development in the city, Moreno says it all starts with safety on the Northside with community policing to enforce local, state and federal laws.

Moreno wants to make Pittsburgh the world headquarters of AI, data storage and bitcoin mining.

“The federal government made it clear that the U.S. wants to lead in artificial intelligence. Pittsburgh should be the headquarters,” Moreno said. He also wants to develop a relationship with UPMC for money that could be used to fund healthcare for all city employees.

“We could put together corporate sponsorship plan with the (UPMC & AGH) instead of fighting with them and also possibly have the health systems fund trades training for the inner-city youth provided by these nonprofits,” Moreno said.