Ed Gainey sworn in as Pittsburgh's first Black mayor; addresses questions on policing
Ed Gainey, former state representative, was sworn in today as the 61st mayor of Pittsburgh, making history as the city’s first Black mayor and the first mayor to beat an incumbent in the last 90 years.
Due to concerns about rising COVID cases in Allegheny County, Gainey’s transition team made a last-minute decision to pivot the inauguration ceremony to a mostly-virtual event held in Pittsburgh’s City Council chambers and streamed live on social media instead of a large public gathering at Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall and Museum, as originally planned.
“I love this city,” he said in his inaugural address, moments after his official swearing-in. “Without this city, I would not be who I am today.” He called his inauguration both a celebration and “an appreciation of our city and [its residents].”
Gainey, a Democrat, served Pittsburghers as state representative for the 24th Pennsylvania House District from 2013 to 2021 and became a well-known progressive ally on issues like criminal justice reform, marijuana policy, labor, public transit, and the Black Lives Matter movement. He and his wife Michelle (Coburn) Gainey have three children and live in the city's Lincoln-Lemington neighborhood.
Read more: https://www.pghcitypaper.com/pittsburgh/ed-gainey-sworn-in-as-pittsburghs-first-black-mayor-addresses-questions-on-policing/Content?oid=20862169
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