Black contender wins Pittsburgh mayoral primary as incumbent concedes

[May 19, 2021]    (Reuters) - Pittsburgh has taken a step towards electing its first Black mayor as Ed Gainey won the Democratic primary election for the post after incumbent Bill Peduto conceded.

Gainey, whose campaign had called for equality for Black and poor residents, ran as a progressive, touting policies such as demilitarizing the police and advocating for the right of workers to unionize, according to The Hill.

"One person can't change a city. A city is changed when we all come together to improve the quality of life for everybody," Gainey told supporters late on Tuesday.

Gainey, a five-term state representative, will be the big favorite in the November general election in the heavily Democratic city. If he wins, he will be Pittsburgh's first Black mayor.

Mayor Bill Peduto, who had been seeking a third term, conceded the primary election late on Tuesday.

"I just called @gainey_ed (Ed Gainey) and congratulated him on earning the Democratic endorsement for Mayor of the city of Pittsburgh. Wishing him well. Thank you Pittsburgh for the honor of being your Mayor these past 8 years", Peduto, a Democrat, said in a tweet.

(This story fixes typo in mayor's name in para 1)

(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Angus MacSwan)

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