Why Trump and MAGA are playing a role in the Pittsburgh mayoral race
This job isn’t as glamorous as it may look. I mean, I once saw a fistfight nearly break out among local politicos in an elementary school parking lot. And until recently, one of the consolations of covering local politics is, well, at least you aren’t covering national politics.
But the boundary between national politics and local politics, like so many boundaries these days, is getting blurry.
Witness Pittsburgh’s mayoral race, where Democratic challenger Corey O’Connor has launched the first TV ad of the campaign. It’s a 30-second introductory spot in which O’Connor (or “Oh! Connor” as the spot insists on repeating) pledges to fix bridges, build more housing and be “the progressive mayor who gets the job done.” You’ll note the implicit criticism of incumbent Ed Gainey in that last part, but what jumps out more is O’Connor’s promise to “stand up to the chaos in Washington.”
Meanwhile, Pittsburgh inboxes are filling up with email solicitations from Gainey’s campaign, proclaiming that he will “never bow down to Donald Trump and Elon Musk,” and asking for your contribution to help thwart “the MAGA movement’s plans to buy our Democratic Primary.”
https://www.wesa.fm/politics-government/2025-03-07/trump-pittsburgh-mayor-race