PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – It’s an annual ritual — candidates filing their nominating petitions; and on Tuesday, Jack Wagner showed up in person to file for mayor of Pittsburgh.

“So how’s everyone,” he cheerfully greeted reporters. “It is official. It is an honor to file for mayor in a city I love.”

A short time later, Bill Peduto filed his petitions with more signatures than the others.

“We had approximately 2,700. We needed 250, and we had about 200 volunteers. And we hit all 90 neighborhoods, which was one of our goals,” said Peduto.

But Peduto and Wagner aren’t alone in the Democratic Primary.

By the 5 p.m. deadline, seven candidates had filed, including Pa. Sen. Jim Ferlo, City Controller Michael Lamb, City Council President Darlene Harris, Pa. Rep. Jake Wheatley, school bus monitor A.J. Richardson, former Pa. Auditor General Jack Wagner, and City Councilman Bill Peduto.

Peduto zeroed in on Wagner, challenging Wagner’s plan to use $300,000 from his gubernatorial campaign committee.

“Jack has every ability to create a campaign for mayor,” said Peduto. “He has to start with $8,000 out of his campaign. But he simply can’t use the money raised for a different race to be able to use it for the mayor’s race in Pittsburgh. That’s the law in the city of Pittsburgh.”

Wagner says his lawyers believe otherwise because individuals were giving to support him personally.

“Every contribution that has been made to me has been made as a good faith effort to someone that those contributors believe supports good government,” notes Wagner.

• Bill Robinson tells NewsRadio 1020 KDKA that he plans to run for mayor even though he did not file his petition before the 5 p.m. deadline:

One Republican, Josh Wander, is also running for mayor.

And so the campaign begins.

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