After Winning Primary, Peduto Sets Sights On November
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - It was a very contentious campaign season as Bill Peduto and Jack Wagner went head-to-head for the Democratic nomination in the race for mayor of Pittsburgh.
"Did we change a city today or what?" Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald said.
Fitzgerald, flanked by dozens of local Democratic officials, congratulated Peduto on his primary win in the race to replace Luke Ravenstahl.
"We put together a message that stayed consistent about everything that we have been saying for years. Once our message was heard, it was pretty obvious to the people of Pittsburgh that was the path they wanted to go with," Peduto said.
Peduto captured 51 percent of the vote to out-distance Wagner and two others.
"Obviously, I am disappointed, but at the same time, I'm a realist. Not many people voted. I mean when you really look at a mayor's race in the City of Pittsburgh and you get 20,000 votes and you win? It's really unbelievable," Wagner said.
And while he lost, he hopes his campaign message won't get lost in the shuffle.
"We need to continue to put job creation and job retention as a top priority. I talked extensively about technology transfer out of our universities and the great opportunity that is to create high technology jobs, biotechnology jobs for our city. We need to maximize that potential. I don't think we have," Wagner said.
"In the back of my mind, I'm still thinking about we still have a race to run in November and after everything we have been through the last couple weeks, it's obvious that we shouldn't expect anything might not be a little bit different," Peduto said.
Peduto will meet Josh Wander of Squirrel Hill in November. He ran unopposed in the Republican primary.
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