This story was updated at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, June 29, 2021.
In an attempt to buck the odds in a city that hasn’t elected a Republican mayor in nearly a century, retired Pittsburgh police Officer Tony Moreno will run as the party’s nominee against Democratic state Rep. Ed Gainey in the November general election for mayor.
Mr. Moreno confirmed Tuesday that he will accept the GOP nod, just weeks after he finished in third place in the Democratic primary but received enough write-in votes to run as a Republican.
Announcing his intentions from a backyard in Homewood, Mr. Moreno framed his candidacy as a viable option for Pittsburghers who are tired of politics as usual and want someone who’s a unifier, not a divider.
“The politics of the day has soured people to what goes on. They don't like what's happening,” Mr. Moreno said, deeming his candidacy a contrast to a career politician he believes is corrupt.
Mr. Gainey beat incumbent Mayor Bill Peduto in the Democratic primary by running a campaign that pointed out the disparities facing Black people in the city and pledging to bring all neighborhoods to the table in important conversations about Pittsburgh’s future. Mr. Moreno collected about 13% of the vote.
Mr. Moreno, flanked by supporters at his event, said he switched his voter registration to Republican on Tuesday and that he did it because that party nominated him while the Democratic “establishment” rejected his campaign in the primary “for yet another career politician that wants to divide this city.”
“Make no mistake, the political banner that I’ll be running under will never change who I am,” Mr. Moreno said. “It doesn't change my vision and plan for this city. It merely reflects the letter next to my name on the ballot.”
Asked why he thinks Mr. Gainey wants to divide the city, Mr. Moreno called back to one of the themes of his primary campaign: defending the police force that he was a part of for many years, and that he thinks Mr. Gainey and Mr. Peduto unfairly maligned.
Mr. Moreno said his campaign would prioritize public works and public safety “while streamlining city government and ensuring Pittsburghers receive the effective and timely services they need.”
Mr. Gainey ran on a pledge to improve police-community relations and alleged that there is “overpolicing” in neighborhoods of color. He said he wants to shift resources from “militarized gear” into community policing, bring on social workers to deal with crisis intervention and train officers to focus on de-escalation, among other things.
In an interview, Mr. Moreno said he made the decision to run as a Republican after he determined there was a path to victory.
“This general election is about one thing: a clear choice between someone who will continue the corruption in our city or someone who will serve the people of this city every day,” Mr. Moreno said.
Reacting to Mr. Moreno’s announcement, Mr. Gainey’s campaign spokeswoman sent out a statement that read in full: “Rep. Gainey welcomes Mr. Moreno to the race, and looks forward to a positive general election campaign in which he'll continue to talk about his vision for uniting our City and building a Pittsburgh for all."
Julian Routh: jrouth@post-gazette.com, 412-263-1952 or Twitter @julianrouth.
First Published: June 29, 2021, 3:35 p.m.
Updated: June 29, 2021, 7:16 p.m.
