Two seek to replace Gilman on city council
No one would mistake even Pittsburgh’s most prosperous East End homes for Buckingham Palace, from which the Windsors have ruled England for a century. But the East End neighborhoods have provided their own remarkably enduring chain of succession.
Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto previously represented City Council District 8’s neighborhoods — Shadyside, Point Breeze, and portions of Oakland and Squirrel Hill — for over a decade after serving as chief of staff to his predecessor, Dan Cohen. After he was elected mayor in 2013, Mr. Peduto was replaced by his right-hand man, Dan Gilman. And now that Mr. Gilman is poised to become the top aide in the mayor’s office, he’s hoping his own chief, Erika Strassburger, can replace him.
“I couldn’t have done the job without her,” said Mr. Gilman. “She’s been a trusted adviser, a great representative within the community, and an incredibly smart researcher on legislation…. She’s ready to hit the ground running.”
Mr. Gilman is expected to step down Wednesday, after which council has one week to set a date for an election not more than 60 days in the future. But Ms. Strassburger, who also has Mr. Peduto’s backing, is considered a strong front-runner.
Running was “not a foregone conclusion,” said Ms. Strassburger, 35. But as chief of staff, “I became comfortable with the process, understanding what goes into making policy, and working with constituents.”
Prior to her city post, Ms. Strassburger was active in environmental causes: She did advocacy for Penn Environment and is a board member of greenminded Conservation Consultants Inc., among civic ties that include being on the board of the Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition.
Ms. Strassburger touts the District 8 office’s “responsiveness to constituents,” and work on neighborhood issues. “I’ve spent a lot of hours in the magisterial district courtroom,” handling zoning and occupancy complaints, especially near the universities. “On a street-by-street level, we have made a difference.” And she noted the office’s role on advancing “progressive social causes,” like a 2014 ordinance banning discrimination against pregnant women.
Also in her corner is the district’s political history. “This area has been traditionally progressive,” said Ron Gaydos, President of the 14th Ward Independent Democratic Club. “That’s a great thing but it does favor stability. We really think that competition is a good thing.”
Hoping to provide that competition will be 38-yearold restaurant owner Sonja Finn, who is -- so far -- Ms. Strassburger’s only declared challenger.
“My focus is on making sure Pittsburgh is a place [where] everyone belongs.” That means championing affordable housing along with “employee welfare and the quality of public education.”
A Pittsburgh native who returned a decade ago, Ms. Finn runs Dinette, which is credited with advancing progressive restaurant practices like paying workers a living wage and committing to environmental sustainability.
Ms. Finn has a degree in sociology with an urban planning focus from Columbia University, where she wrote a thesis on failed efforts to redevelop East Liberty. This is her first run for office, though she said she is getting guidance from Allegheny County Controller Chelsa Wagner and “I think I’ve made a name for myself as a leader in this community.”
She acknowledged that having just launched a campaign, “I know my beliefs but I can’t speak with nuance yet” about some policy issues. Still, she said, her business background could be useful.
She cited a city ordinance requiring employers to offer paid sick leave — a law currently facing legal challenge — as a cause she could have aided by shifting its “focus to paid time off, versus sick leave. People need time off for lots of reasons, but enforcing this as sick leave means they’ll call the day of [their absence], which makes it hard to run your business.”
Other candidates may join in. Mental health therapist Abbie Campsie, City Controller’s office staffer Andrew DeWitt, and Pittsburgh school board member Lynda Wrenn all confirmed last week that they were either pondering or had been approached about a run. None had made a decision by year’s end.
Mr. Peduto said District 8 has moved from one chief of staff to the next because it “appreciates professionalism [and] those who have taken the time to learn the job, work hard .. and find solutions to neighborhood problems.” But some say they hope for a spirited race.
“There’s been a lot of complacency,” said Chris Zurawsky, a longtime East End political activist. (Another case in point is Mr. Zurawsky’s adjoining District 5, where the seat once held by the late Bob O’Connor has since been occupied by his former chief of staff, Doug Shields, and Mr. O’Connor’s son, current Councilman Corey O’Connor.)
“But with [President Donald] Trump’s election, everybody wants to run,” Mr. Zurawsky said. “And there’s nothing like contested elections.”