Mayor-elect Corey O\u2019Connor is looking for students to help realize his vision for Pittsburgh.<\/p>\n
On Nov. 4, Pittsburgh residents elected<\/a> Democratic candidate Corey O\u2019Connor to become the city\u2019s 62nd mayor. Students and community members want the new administration to address concerns about affordable housing, the city budget and public safety.<\/p>\n Corey O\u2019Connor served on Pittsburgh City Council starting in 2011, representing District 5. In 2022, he became Allegheny County Controller. In May 2025, he beat incumbent mayor Ed Gainey in the Democratic primary elections<\/a> with 52.8% of the vote.\u00a0<\/p>\n In the most recent election, O\u2019Connor won with 87.5%<\/a> of the vote against Republican candidate and retired police officer Tony Moreno<\/a>. The Associated Press called<\/a> the race at 8:26 p.m., shortly after the polls closed at 8:00 p.m.<\/p>\n O\u2019Connor spoke with The Pitt News about changes students may see from the new administration after Jan. 5, 2026, when he will be sworn in<\/a> as mayor.<\/p>\n According to O\u2019Connor, Pitt students should expect to see more direct communication and collaboration with the community from the mayor\u2019s office in coming years and an increased presence on campus compared to the outgoing Gainey administration.<\/p>\n \u201cBeing present on campus is pretty helpful because it\u2019s an easy way for me to relay my vision and what\u2019s happening [in city government], but also to hear back from students on what they\u2019re seeing in our city daily,\u201d O\u2019Connor said.<\/p>\n George Dougherty, an associate professor in public and international affairs<\/a>, believes that the transition from Gainey to O\u2019Connor will be \u201cmore pragmatic, as opposed to ideological.\u201d Dougherty said O\u2019Connor\u2019s first priority should be \u201cworking very clearly with and directly with [City] Council on a financial plan.\u201d<\/p>\n O\u2019Connor will face the task of reshaping<\/a> Gainey\u2019s 2026 budget proposal<\/a> for the city, which was released on Nov. 10 alongside a final statement from the departing mayor. With city revenue falling and expenses rising,<\/a> residents are concerned about how the city will recoup finances.<\/p>\n O\u2019Connor further plans to address student concerns about unaffordable housing<\/a> with rising enrollment<\/a>. His plan is to use existing city assets like rent-to-own programs<\/a>, The Housing Opportunity Fund<\/a> and tax credits.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cWe already have the tools to [develop affordable housing], we just need to make sure that we get it done,\u201d O\u2019Connor said. \u201cWe need to build all types of housing and build it fast.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Colt Pierce, a teaching assistant professor in urban studies<\/a>, shared his opinion on why O\u2019Connor was more popular than Gainey in the primary.<\/p>\n \u201cO\u2019Connor was highlighting the slow progress Pittsburgh has made towards affordable units, which is true,\u201d Pierce said. \u201cPittsburgh is very slow at producing affordable units<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n Pierce also spoke about differences in housing policy in the O\u2019Connor administration compared to the Gainey administration.<\/p>\n Gainey proposed in his campaign to use city-wide inclusionary zoning<\/a>, which sets aside a portion of housing development for households making less than the local median income. Pierce said O\u2019Connor favors \u201ca more localized approach\u201d that addresses varying needs across neighborhoods and transit-oriented zoning<\/a> development.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cStudents use more of our public transit than probably anybody,\u201d O\u2019Connor said. \u201cSo if we can [increase] density around those lines, that will be beneficial to everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n Pierce believes that O\u2019Connor\u2019s policies could be effective, but has concerns about long-term affordability.<\/p>\n \u201cI think O\u2019Connor \u2014 if he gets these policies passed and he can actually do what he wants \u2014 we are going to see a lot more [housing] development,\u201d Pierce said. \u201cBut how do we keep houses affordable? And that\u2019s the question that is not answered and that\u2019s what makes me worried.\u201d<\/p>\n Jesse Milston, a junior political science and history major and vice president of College Republicans at Pitt<\/a>, is hoping for \u201cless noise, just more decisive action\u201d compared to Gainey. He believes O\u2019Connor\u2019s first course of action as mayor should be to address public safety and build stable relationships with the police chief, after controversy<\/a> during Gainey\u2019s administration.<\/p>\n \u201cThe simple truth is that we lack police officers. We need to put more [of them] on the street,\u201d Milston said. \u201cAnd I think that\u2019s going to be Corey O\u2019Connor\u2019s number one job \u2014 getting both more officers on the street and also having a better rapport with the chief.\u201d<\/p>\n O\u2019Connor said he plans to prioritize \u201chiring [police] that have a community-oriented policing mindset and public safety mindset, so that on campus everybody feels safe.\u201d<\/p>\n Milston is also concerned about Oakland\u2019s growing population with increased enrollment at Pitt.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cPittsburgh is growing, and the mayor is going to really impact how we get our housing situation in order,\u201d Milston said. \u201cI\u2019m just hoping for a mayor who actually just puts his head down and gets the job done.\u201d<\/p>\n Austin Wise, a senior political science major and president of College Democrats at Pitt<\/a>, explained why the group endorsed O\u2019Connor.<\/p>\n \u201cO\u2019Connor\u2019s housing plan<\/a>, which is mixed-use zoning<\/a>, calls for faster permits, which will equal more apartments being built, which should in turn lower rents in Oakland for Pitt students as more units are built across the city.\u201d<\/p>\n Along with a smooth transition of administrations, Wise believes that the city budget will be one of the most important tasks to tackle once O\u2019Connor takes office.<\/p>\n \u201cBalancing our budget is important so that we can make sure that we\u2019re not headed towards a fiscal crisis with the city \u2014 like we have so many times<\/a> in the past under different administrations,\u201d Wise said.<\/p>\n Wise also spoke about Election Day, during which O\u2019Connor visited<\/a> the William Pitt Union to talk to students.<\/p>\n \u201cPitt Dems [endorsed]<\/a> Corey because he made himself accessible to us,\u201d Wise said. \u201cHe fought hard to earn our endorsement and to make sure that student voices were heard.\u201d<\/p>\n Ara Das, a first-year nursing student, voted for O\u2019Connor and other Democrats on the ballot with issues like education in mind.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d agree with a lot of the Democratic or left-leaning policies, so it seemed like an obvious choice,\u201d said Das. \u201cI saw [O\u2019Connor] was endorsed<\/a> by the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers<\/a> \u2014 that\u2019s important to me.\u201d<\/p>\n Das also spoke about the difficulties she faced when researching Republican candidate Tony Moreno for the election.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI felt like on [Moreno\u2019s] website<\/a>, I didn\u2019t see as much about him and his endorsements as I did on O\u2019Connor\u2019s page<\/a>,\u201d Das said. \u201cI just felt like it was easier to trust someone who was giving me more information.\u201d<\/p>\n O\u2019Connor believes college students are integral in attracting businesses and local talent to the city.<\/p>\n \u201cI actually look for students to be ambassadors for the city \u2014 tell their friends why they picked Pittsburgh for college and why they\u2019re looking to stay in Pittsburgh,\u201d O\u2019Connor said. \u201cWe don\u2019t want you to just come here for your four years, we want you to look at Pittsburgh as a lifelong investment.\u201d<\/p>\n O\u2019Connor said he welcomes everyone when building a new vision for Pittsburgh. According to O\u2019Connor, Pittsburgh has all the resources that students need not only for school, but also for building lifelong businesses and careers.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt doesn\u2019t bother me whether you supported me or not,\u201d O\u2019Connor said. \u201cWe\u2019re all in this together, and why not Pittsburgh? Let\u2019s put Pittsburgh on the map.\u201d<\/p>\n