Primary 2005: The race to be Pittsburgh's next mayor

The Post-Gazette profiles the candidates and examines the issues in the campaign for mayor.

Follow the race to be the next mayor of Pittsburgh, with PG profiles of the candidates in the Democratic primary, and commentary on the issues surrounding the race. Find more coverage at PG Election News.

The Democratic primary candidates:

Bob O'Connor


Robin Rombach, Post-Gazette Democratic mayoral candidate Bob O'Connor on the campaign trail.

Bob O'Connor's main campaign plank is not that his business acumen will improve the city's financial health. It is that his ability to motivate people will simply make the city better. O'Connor says he can improve and inspire the management of the city's work force, bandage relationships with state lawmakers and forge the best development deals just through the force of his personality. (Go to article)

Bill Peduto


Martha Rial, Post-Gazette Mayoral candidate Bill Peduto, right, listens to a resident.

Bill Peduto portrays himself as the candidate of tough decisions. After a career in various political roles, he characterizes his candidacy as an alternative to the local government establishment, a fresh voice of hope in a town whose civic morale is as battered as its budget. (Go to article)

Michael Lamb


Robin Rombach, Post-Gazette Mayoral candidate Michael Lamb introduces himself.

Michael Lamb has used his track record as prothonotary as a jumping off point for his mayoral campaign, painting himself as a cost-cutter and reformer who will slash the salaries of the mayor and other top aides, consolidate purchasing, tax collection, and job testing and hiring activities with the county, and push to reduce the number of council districts from nine to seven. (Go to article)

Other candidates in the race:
Unheralded quartet on mayoral ballot

The issues, from the op-ed pages of the Post-Gazette

Promises, promises in televised mayoral debate 4.18.2005
Get regional, or die 4.17.2005
What about the team? 4.3.2005
The city's stealth crisis 3.27.2005
Keeping it clean 3.18.2005
Bill Peduto / Building a new Pittsburgh for the 21st century 3.16.2005
Bob O'Connor / With visionary leadership, we can turn Pittsburgh around 2.27.2005
Michael Lamb / We can't afford a 'caretaker' mayor 1.16.05