Wilson beats Harris in upset
Mayor endorsed candidate who defeated fierce critic
In an upset that will surely shock City Hall and give Mayor Bill Peduto a cause to celebrate, Spring Hill’s Bobby Wilson beat longtime Pittsburgh Councilwoman Darlene Harris in Tuesday’s Democratic primary in City Council District 1.
Mr. Wilson’s win, propped up by an early endorsement from Mr. Peduto, puts an end to Mrs. Harris’ 12-year tenure on council, in which she has been one of the mayor’s most vociferous critics. She previously served as council president.
In other City Council races, the incumbents President Bruce Kraus, Deb Gross and the Rev. Ricky Burgess all won their Democratic primary contests.
Mr. Wilson targeted Mrs. Harris’ rocky relationship with the mayor during the campaign. He frequently said the councilwoman’s confrontational approach to governing prevented the North Side from getting the resources it needs to flourish.
“I think that working together is really going to move the North Side forward, and I think a lot of
people knew that,” Mr. Wilson said Tuesday night at his election party at the Elks Lodge. “A lot of new people who moved in and a lot of older people may have wanted a fresh start.”
Over more than a decade while she was on council, Mrs. Harris’ leadership style — unwavering and sometimes combative — brought her a loyal network of supporters on the North Side who often praised her handling of day-to-day community problems.
But that wasn’t enough to stave off a challenge from Mr. Wilson, a 36-year-old technologist at the University of Pittsburgh’s Emphysema COPD Research Center. Nor was it enough to beat back his message that he’d work to ensure the North Side is prosperous for all and has a vision for the future.
Mark Brentley Sr., a former Pittsburgh Public Schools board member, finished a distant third.
Winning the Democratic primary has historically put the winners on fast tracks to City Council in Pittsburgh. Mr. Wilson, though, will likely face challenges from two independent candidates: Chris Rosselot, a former aide to U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, and Quincy Kofi Swatson have indicated they’d pursue bids if Mr. Wilson or Mrs. Harris won.
The advantages of incumbency proved to be too large to overcome on Tuesday in three other contested primary elections for Pittsburgh City Council, as Mr. Kraus, Ms. Gross and Rev. Burgess all held on to win their races.
Ms. Gross won despite a big endorsement from the Allegheny County Democratic Committee for challenger Deirdre Kane in District 7. With 100% of precincts counted, Ms. Gross won by about 17 percentage points and more than 1,000 votes.
Ms. Gross’ win lends credence to what she considers her more than five years of successes in repairing the water system, encouraging affordable housing and setting the stage for restoring vacant properties.
“The people of the district are really clear on their priorities,” Ms. Gross said. “We have another four years to make that happen, defending public water, advocating for affordable housing, working on issues in the neighborhoods and really kind of setting that progressive agenda.”
Elsewhere, Mr. Kraus, the council’s president, appeared to get one step closer to a fourth term by beating his former chief of staff, Ken Wolfe, and University of Pittsburgh student Chris Kumanchik.
With 96% of precincts reporting, Mr. Kraus held a large lead over Mr. Wolfe.
The election in District 3 was framed by Mr. Kraus’ challengers as a referendum on his engagement with the community. Voters in the district — which is centered on the South Side — appeared to have stood beside his record of managing the neighborhood’s exuberant nightlife, among other things.
In District 9, Rev. Burgess emerged victorious from a crowded field that criticized his engagement with constituents. But voters preferred Rev. Burgess’ focus on bringing affordable housing to the district and improving public safety, which he has said has been successful since he was elected in 2007.
With 100% of precincts reporting, Rev. Burgess won 38% of the vote, beating second-place Kierran Young by about 9 points, as well as besting challengers Stephen Braxton, Judith K. Ginyard and Cherylie Fuller.
Mr. Young, who turned 27 Tuesday, attributed the loss partly to the crowded field.
“As long as there are all these people who are willing to jump in the race, it is going to be impossible for anybody to beat Rev. Burgess . ... I believe I would’ve won. I’m extremely disappointed with what goes on in the 9th District, and I believe it’s extremely corrupt.”
Rev. Burgess said he is “humbled and grateful for the confidence that the voters of the 9th District have given me, and I look forward to serving them for another four years.”
He said he will use this upcoming term to keep the focus on reducing crime and advocating for affordable housing.
“I hope to provide more resources to residents, but I also think that I just need to talk more to individual residents to see what they want and how I can work with them. That’s the other thing I’ve learned during this election.”