City Council District 8: A Competitive Election

There is going to be a lot of coverage of the mayoral primary next semester, but a large number of Pitt students will also have the opportunity to cast their ballots for a new City Council representative. As current Councilman, Bill Peduto, is vacating his seat to run for mayor, this election will have no incumbent.

City Council District 8 covers much of North Oakland, mostly north of Fifth Avenue and east of Bigelow Blvd. It also includes neighborhoods such as Shady Side and Squirrel Hill, which also have a large number of student residents.

This article from the Tribune-Review goes over the qualifications and backgrounds of three candidates who have already filed to run. Other political blogs have already discussed the fact that this is an election that has a number of good, highly qualified candidates running. It’s definitely a race that students should keep an eye on.

Looking Ahead: The 2014 PA Governor Race

Most likely, you’ve heard about Gov. Corbett’s proposed cuts to Pitt and higher education for the two terms he’s been in office; since his initial 50% proposal, proposed only a few months into his first term as governor, he has motivated students to turn out in record numbers to Pitt Day in Harrisburg.

Governor Corbett has also endured low approval ratings over his handling of the Sandusky scandal at Penn State. Needless to say, he will likely face a tough reelection in 2014. One reason this is interesting: if Gov. Corbett loses in 2014, it would end a tradition that, since 1971, has resulted in a governor serving two terms. In every case since 1971, the opposing party won election after those two terms.

This article, making its way around the internet and reputable PA political blogs, details some of the names being tossed around for potential challengers. Notably absent: our own Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald. That position is often seen as a potential springboard to the Governor’s mansion, and when Corbett won in 2010, it was Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato that he beat.

This is definitely a race worth following.