2025 Democratic Primary Candidate & Ballot Question Guide
Judicial Candidates
There are a large number of judicial candidates. Please review their information on our Judicial Candidate page.
Mayor of Pittsburgh
Ed Gainey
Ed Gainey was born and raised in Pittsburgh by a single teenage mom. He grew up in the Hill District and later, public housing in East Liberty. There, he witnessed many of the structural issues he’s gone on to tackle in his career, around housing, violence, and opportunity. In 2012, he was elected to the Pennsylvania House, fighting for an increased minimum wage, criminal justice reform, and quality education. As Mayor, Ed has increased the availability of affordable housing, helped to reduce gun violence, and brought hundreds of millions of dollars back to Pittsburgh’s downtown.
Ed Gainey – Questionnaire
1. What is your top priority that you hope to accomplish if you win your election?
Continuing the critical progress we’ve made in confronting the housing affordability crisis. Over the past 4 years, we’ve made amazing strides creating affordable housing, securing the city’s first affordable housing bond to fund new construction projects, bringing home unprecedented affordable housing funding from Harrisburg, helping 150 low-income households buy their first home, and creating or preserving over 1,400 units of affordable housing, with hundreds more in the pipeline. But our work isn’t finished – we need to finish the job of adopting new residential zoning laws that places affordable housing construction at the heart of every residential development project, eliminate antiquated requirements that restrict the amount of housing that can be built, protect long-time homeowners from displacement, and take on the predatory corporate wholesalers who are turning our neighborhoods into investment portfolios. If reelected, I am committed to cutting our affordable housing shortage in half over the next 4 years.
2. If elected, what do you feel is the biggest issue that your office will face in moving our municipality forward?
Protecting our communities from the damage being wrought on our country by the Trump Administration. From attacks on Social Security and Medicaid, the gutting of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the proposed elimination of the Department of Education, to unleashing of ICE to terrorize our immigrant neighbors and the rolling back of Civil Rights protections, the Trump Administration is hellbent on transforming the federal government from a force for good for everyday Americans to an instrument of cruelty and plunder for the 1%. We have to meet this moment not only by standing up to the President and protecting our vulnerable neighbors from his destructive agenda, but also by stepping into the gap left by the hollowing out of the federal government, finding local solutions to challenges that used to be national responsibilities, like preventing discrimination in housing or employment, or confronting the effects of climate change.
Corey O’Connor
Corey was elected to City Council to represent District 5 in 2011 and has served as County Controller since 2022. Some of his achievements include authoring the City’s Paid Sick Days Act and passing gun control measures, and his recent audit revealing millions of dollars in unused funding for communities plagued by air pollution. As Mayor, Corey will grow the city by investing in housing and strong main street business districts. He’ll prioritize renewing our parks and playgrounds and he’ll bring Pittsburgh’s major nonprofits to the table to finally ensure that they pay their fair share. Corey and his wife, Katie, live in Point Breeze with their two children.
Corey O’Connor – Questionnaire
1. What is your top priority that you hope to accomplish if you win your election?
My top priority is bringing greater transparency to the City’s budget to ensure Pittsburgh can continue funding the essential services residents rely on. That starts with being honest about the City’s financial position and making responsible decisions to protect its long-term health. We cannot afford to return to Act 47 or state oversight. Instead of expanding bureaucracy or spending on costly studies, I will prioritize investments that directly improve our neighborhoods—fixing roads, maintaining infrastructure, and ensuring public safety. Too often, budget decisions are made without enough public input or clarity, leaving taxpayers in the dark. I will push for a more open, accessible budgeting process that ensures every dollar is spent effectively on core services that residents see and depend on. A strong, sustainable budget means a stronger Pittsburgh, and I am committed to making sure our city remains financially stable while delivering real results in our communities.
2. If elected, what do you feel is the biggest issue that your office will face in moving our municipality forward?
One of the biggest challenges our city faces is the potential loss of intergovernmental funding from the federal government, which helps support essential services like infrastructure, public safety, and community development. Under the current administration, these critical resources are at risk, putting more pressure on Pittsburgh’s budget and threatening the services residents depend on.
Now more than ever, it’s essential that the city’s large nonprofits pay their fair share. While they provide important services, too many major institutions benefit from city resources without contributing enough in return. I will push for a fair and sustainable solution that ensures these organizations help support the infrastructure, public safety, and services that make Pittsburgh a great place to live and work. As we navigate financial uncertainty, we must make smart, responsible budget decisions that protect residents and keep our city moving forward.
Pittsburgh City Council
District 8
Erika Strassburger
Erika Strassburger is a member of Pittsburgh City Council, proudly serving the residents of the 8th District since April 2018. She is the first woman elected to this seat. She has passed legislation to guard against discrimination for numerous populations throughout Pittsburgh; secured legislation on single-use plastic bags; and helped enable red light enforcement cameras to come to Pittsburgh to help curb dangerous driving. In response to the October 27, 2018 mass shooting targeting three Squirrel Hill Jewish congregations, she helped lead the way on a package of common sense gun reform and violence prevention ordinances and continues to work against hate and bias throughout the region.
Erika Strassburger – Questionnaire
1. What is your top priority that you hope to accomplish if you win your election?
My top priority in the next few years is helping the City get back on sound financial footing so that we can tackle the problems of today and invest in the solutions of tomorrow. As Council’s Finance and Law chair, I get a front row seat to our financial situation. We must rebuild our tax base if we want to have the resources to properly serve our residents. We can work swiftly to build broad support for incentives for responsible, inclusive housing development that boosts supply and affordability for people at all incomes, while unleashing growth. Through our budget process, we can increase support of the Pittsburgh Land Bank to return vacant and abandoned lots to responsible owners and taxable land. We can put policies in place to keep families in their homes while welcoming newcomers to Pittsburgh. I will do everything I can to support and move along PILOT negotiations with our major nonprofits, to get badly needed reserves into our coffers. I will also continue to be involved in efforts to ensure that our vision of a revitalized Downtown and a strong Oakland become a success. Our region’s fiscal future depends on it.
2. If elected, what do you feel is the biggest issue that your office will face in moving our municipality forward?
Pittsburgh needs to attract new residents to stabilize our population and boost our local economy, and needs to retain the residents we already have. But we need to expend resources to attract and retain residents. We can’t do this without strategic spending and partnerships. To ensure families see Pittsburgh as a wonderful place to stay, we need to invest in state of the art recreation centers and strong partnerships to help bolster our out-of-school-time offerings. We must partner more closely with Pittsburgh Public Schools. We need to invest in our parks so that every resident lives no more than a 10-minute walk from a green space. We need to prepare our city for our growing aging population and attract new older adults by investing in our senior centers and making our streets and our city accessible and age-friendly. We need to welcome our immigrant and refugee neighbors by ensuring they have a pathway to education and jobs right here in Pittsburgh. We should partner with our business and educational institutions to vastly grow our pathways to meaningful work and educational opportunities for lower-income residents and those living in neighborhoods where the opportunity gaps are the largest.
Pittsburgh School Board
District 1
Tawana Cook Purnell
Tawana Cook Purnell was born and raised in Pittsburgh, is a proud graduate of Pittsburgh Public Schools, and has a Master’s degree in School Leadership from Columbia University’s Teachers College. Tawana committed her career to working with students of all ages as a teacher, principal, and board member. As a PPS board member for District 1, Tawana will work diligently with the board, superintendent, staff, students, families, and community to address the complex issues facing our district. Resolutions will require different approaches including data-driven research, clear and transparent communication, new and proven “best practices”, and a willingness to think outside the box. All, however, will require community input, hard work, listening to all voices, and a willingness to change. Tawana has spent her career working to improve educational experience and outcomes for students and looks forward to continuing that work for the students, staff and families of Pittsburgh Public Schools.
Tawana Cook Purnell – Questionnaire
1. What is your top priority that you hope to accomplish if you win your election?
If elected, my first priority would be to learn about the board composition, i. e., who are the current members, what is its history – positive and negative – and progress towards previously shared goals, and build relationships with the other directors, the superintendent, and principals of district 1 schools. Until a collaborative spirit is achieved, little can be accomplished.
My sense is that we all want the same things, though we will likely articulate those goals during robust conversations and in different ways: safe and “well” schools (climate and culture, intentionally “green” buildings, and SEL and/or trauma-informed sensitivity at the forefront); academic excellence (teacher recruitment, professional development, and retention and innovative, research-based best practices); and stewardship of resources (budget integrity, “fair” distribution of funds, oversight and accountability).
2. If elected, what do you feel is the biggest issue that your office will face in moving our municipality forward?
The most challenging issue facing the newly composed board will be convincing the community that the current feasibility plan (or updated version) is likely the best option for the Pittsburgh Public Schools to move forward. When I looked at the plan, I was pleased by the fastidious details detailed regarding the necessary transitions. If carried out with fidelity, it will be transformative. Carefully vetted and selected building leaders (principals, and staff) will be tasked with welcoming families into new spaces (literally and figuratively); that work is essential to building new school families from the ground up and must be understood and executed with commitment.
Though the start is likely to be a rocky one, over time the community will realize their fears were unwarranted. Pittsburgh is on the verge of something remarkable.
Carlos Thomas
Carlos is a lifelong resident of Pittsburgh and a long-time advocate for the youth in the region. Carlos is a father and a youth wrestling coach. Carlos has developed and built collaborative support programs to help prepare students to make post-secondary decisions. By profession, Carlos is a chef and he feels that students and families deserve a seat at a table.
Carlos Thomas – Questionnaire
1. What is your top priority that you hope to accomplish if you win your election?
My top priority will be to fight for equitable funding and stronger support for our students and educators. But progress doesn’t happen in a vacuum—it takes strong, effective board governance and real collaboration. I am committed to working respectfully and strategically with fellow board members to ensure our decisions are transparent, student-centered, and grounded in the realities of our schools. I will advocate for budget priorities that reflect what our communities truly need: safe and modern facilities, culturally responsive curriculum, mental health resources, and fair compensation for our educators and staff. I will also proudly stand with teachers’ unions and school workers, because when we support those on the front lines, we support our students. Together—with families, community members, and my colleagues on the board—we can deliver the kind of high-quality public education every child in Pittsburgh deserves.
2. If elected, what do you feel is the biggest issue that your office will face in moving our municipality forward?
The biggest issue we face is rebuilding an equitable, well-funded public school system that truly serves every child in Pittsburgh Public Schools. For far too long, systemic inequities and historic underfunding have left some of our schools struggling with fewer resources and support. I’m running to change that. I will fight for fair funding and equitable investment in our schools so that every classroom has the resources it needs, from updated textbooks to modern facilities and robust student support services. By collaborating as a community and prioritizing public education, we can stabilize and strengthen our schools, keep families in the district, and prepare our students for bright futures. I’m confident that with a united community, we can move Pittsburgh forward by making our public schools the pride of every neighborhood, starting right here in District 1.
District 5
Tracey Reed
Tracey was raised in the Hilltop community of Beltzhoover. As a student at Beltzhoover Elementary School, Tracey learned that great teaching and a supportive learning environment are the foundations of effective schooling. She began her career as a high school English teacher in Frederick, Maryland. Tracey earned a Masters’ Degree in Public Administration and a Ph.D. in Educational Policy Studies from the University of Virginia. Currently, she is a Program Officer with the Grable Foundation and serves on a number of non-profit boards. Tracey is the second vice-president of the Pittsburgh Public Schools Board of Directors.
Tacey Reed – Questionnaire
1. What is your top priority that you hope to accomplish if you win your election?
I hope to continue to work toward more effective board governance and informed board decision-making.
2. If elected, what do you feel is the biggest issue that your office will face in moving our municipality forward
The board will have to work to strategically to reconfigure the school district’s footprint to better serve the children of the region.
Pittsburgh Home Rule Charter Amendment Referendums
This year, Pittsburgh City Council passed three ordinances with proposed amendments to the Home Rule Charter. All three of those ordinances contain the questions that will appear on the May 20, 2025 Primary Ballot.
A “yes” vote supports restricting the lease or sale of the city’s water and sewer systems to private entities.
A “no” vote opposes restricting the lease or sale of the city’s water and sewer systems to private entities.
Preventing Water Privatization – Background
This question was originally introduced as ordnance 2025-1452 by City Councilperson Deb Gross along with Council members Daniel Lavelle, Khari Mosley, Erika Strassburger, Barbara Warwick and Bobby Wilson. It was passed unanimously by City Council. The proposed amendment is advancing the idea that continued public ownership, operation and management of the drinking water and wastewater systems are the most responsible way for the City of Pittsburgh to ensure that every resident has access to safe and affordable drinking water and wastewater service.
The passage of this question does not affect the option Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority has to acquire Pittsburgh’s water and sewer system on September 1, 2025.
Full text of proposed Home Rule Charter Amendment
ARTICLE XI
RIGHT TO PUBLIC OWNERSHIP OF POTABLE WATER SYSTEMS, WASTEWATER SYSTEM, AND STORM SEWER SYSTEMS
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1101. The City shall not lease, sell or transfer the municipal water and/or sewer system(s) to a private entity.
1102. This provision shall not restrain or prevent the City from the lease, sale or transfer of the municipal water and/or sewer system, or any portion thereof or rights thereto, to a public entity or authority; provided that, the City shall not allow the lease, sale, or transfer of the same to a private entity by such public entity or authority.
1103. This provision shall not restrain the lease, sale or transfer of the municipal water and/or sewer system(s), or any portion thereof or rights thereto, determined by the City and/or the aforementioned public entity or authority to not be or no longer be appurtenant to or part of, or essential for the operation of the municipal water and/or sewer system(s).
Section 2. City Council shall, upon completion of the legislative process, cause a copy of this ordinance to be filed with the Allegheny County Board of Elections pursuant to the Home Rule Charter and Optional Plans Law, 53 Pa. C.S.A. § 2961, et seq., as amended.
A “yes” vote supports prohibiting discrimination on the basis of protected classes including “place of birth, national origin or association or affiliation with any nation or foreign state in conducting business of the City.”
A “no” vote opposes prohibiting discrimination on the basis of protected classes including “place of birth, national origin or association or affiliation with any nation or foreign state in conducting business of the City.”
Background
This question was originally introduced as ordinance 2025-1425 by City Councilperson Erika Strassburger along with Council members Daniel Lavelle, Robert Charland, Anthony Coghill and Bobby Wilson as cosponsors. It was passed unanimously by City Council on February 4th and signed by Mayor Gainey on February 5th and delivered to the Allegheny County Elections division.
This measure was introduced because the City has an obligation to avoid disruptions to the regular delivery of core services to City residents. According to the sponsors of the ordinance, the City currently conducts proper due diligence into the business practices and reputation of all potential City business partners. However the City of Pittsburgh lacks the immense time and resources required to evaluate the activities of all foreign governments that City vendors or contractors interact with.
Full Text of the Proposed Home Rule Charter Amendment
105. LOCAL GOVERNANCE The City of Pittsburgh will not refuse to do business with, or otherwise discriminate against, any person or entity based on race, religion, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, age, gender identity or expression, disability, place of birth, national origin, real or perceived, or connection, association or affiliation with any nation or foreign state. Provided, however, nothing in this provision shall prohibit the City from complying with federal and/or state laws or directives prohibiting governmental units from doing business with foreign states against which the United States or State of Pennsylvania have issued sanctions, or codifying regulations to ensure compliance with the same.
A “yes” vote supports prohibiting the use of the home rule charter amendment process to enact non-binding and illegal measures.
A “no” vote opposes prohibiting the use of the home rule charter amendment process to enact non-binding and illegal measures.
Background
This question was originally introduced as ordinance 2025-1426 by City Councilperson Erika Strassburger along with Council members Daniel Lavelle, Robert Charland, Anthony Coghill and Bobby Wilson as cosponsors. It was passed by a vote of 6-2 drawing opposition from Barb Warwick and Deb Gross. Mayor Gainey returned the bill to City Council unsigned and it was subsequently delivered to the Allegheny County Elections Division to be placed on the ballot.
According to the sponsors of the ordinance, this measure was introduced because certain far-reaching ballot initiative efforts have been attempted which, if successful, would have amended the Home Rule Charter to add functions or duties that exceed the limits imposed upon the City by the Constitution of the United States, the Pennsylvania Constitution, and the laws of Pennsylvania. The preparation of such amendments nonetheless consumes time and resources for the Allegheny County Elections Division, as well as demand the eventual attention of the City’s Department of Law. This measure was introduced because for practical and legal reasons, it is in the best interests of the City of Pittsburgh to avoid the adoption of inherently unlawful proposals.
Full text of proposed Home Rule Charter Amendment
104. AMENDMENTS TO CHARTER
Pursuant to applicable law, this Charter may be amended, or study commission authorized, by petition of qualified electors of the city or by Ordinance of Council. Amendments to this Charter must be binding upon the municipality. Nonbinding amendments, or amendments prescribing duties or obligations inconsistent or in conflict with the lawful powers or duties of the municipality are expressly prohibited.
Allegheny County Sheriff
Kevin Kraus
Sheriff Kraus is a 21-year veteran of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, where he rose through the ranks of Detective, Sergeant, and Lieutenant. For 12 years, he served as Lieutenant of Major Crimes in the Investigations Branch. In this role, he oversaw criminal and administrative investigations of police-involved incidents resulting in serious injury or death, responded to homicide and major crime scenes, and commanded a team of 9 supervisors and 100 detectives within the 12 divisions of Major Crimes.
Sheriff Kraus also served as the media spokesperson for the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police for 11 years, earning the trust of the public through transparent communication. Additionally, he coordinated the Allegheny County Crime Stoppers of Pennsylvania television program, furthering his dedication to community safety.
Kevin Kraus – Questionnaire
Information coming soon…
1. What is your top priority that you hope to accomplish if you win your election?
2. If elected, what do you feel is the biggest issue that your office will face in moving our municipality forward?
