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Late Mayor's Son Announces Candidacy For City Council

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Politics seems to be a family affair in the O'Connor family.

First, Bob O'Connor had a long political career, with the pinnacle being his dream job as the mayor of Pittsburgh.

On Thursday, his son Corey announced that he too will run for public office.

We've had three generations of Ravenstahls in local politics, so why not a second generation of O'Connors?

The 26-year-old son of the late mayor announced that he's running for the City Council seat his dad once held.

It was not a big surprise to those who have followed the young man. His mother, Judy, told KDKA's Jon Delano that Corey is very much the people person that his dad was.

Just hours after announcing a run for City Council, his signs went up at his headquarters along Murray Avenue in Squirrel Hill.

"I'm ready. We're ready for this. I have a passion for this city, a passion for the people of this city, and I think I bring a new outlook and new resources to the city," O'Connor said.

Corey O'Connor said his last four years as an aide to Congressman Mike Doyle have trained him for the job.

"I was able to secure federal funding for our region. Now that deals with infrastructure, development, and public safety funding that we were able to bring back through the federal government," O'Connor said.

O'Connor said he also focused on disaster relief programs and senior citizen issues.

"I was also able to work on heating and energy assistance issues for seniors and low-income residents."

District five in the southeast corner of the city stretches through 10 neighborhoods including Squirrel Hill, Greenfield, Regent Square, Hazelwood, and Lincoln Place.

Delano asked O'Connor if he would serve the full four-year term or leave to run for mayor in 2013.

"No, I know it's coming up in two years, and I'm flattered with that question that a lot of people get, 'When are you going to run for mayor?' My job right now is to work for the city of Pittsburgh, especially the fifth council district. I have no plans of running for mayor in two years," O'Connor said.

Elective office is hardly a done deal for O'Connor.

He may have to defeat his father's chief of staff and successor, incumbent Councilman Doug Shields.

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