O’Connor enters third race for mayor

Former City Councilman Bob O’Connor, long-rumored to be a candidate for Pittsburgh’s next… Former City Councilman Bob O’Connor, long-rumored to be a candidate for Pittsburgh’s next mayor, made official his third bid for the office Sunday.

Speaking at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers’ local headquarters on the South Side, O’Connor told his vocal audience that he is “worried about the future of the city.”

“We’re headed in the wrong direction,” O’Connor said, citing the city’s precarious financial situation and untended relationships with county and state government. “We need to put Pittsburgh on the right track.”

Pointing to his business experience as an executive at a chain of restaurants as a strong credential for the mayor’s office, O’Connor pledged to replace the position of deputy mayor with a city manager.

“I want to be the CEO of this city,” he said. “The buck stops here.”

O’Connor joins Allegheny County Prothonotary Michael Lamb in the field of declared candidates, while City Councilman Bill Peduto continues to mull a run for mayor. City Controller Tom Flaherty ended any speculation Friday about his possible run for mayor when he announced that he would seek a seat on the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas.

O’Connor’s first political test will come on Feb. 27, when he will vie for the Allegheny County Democratic Committee’s official endorsement in the same International Brotherhood hall in which he announced his candidacy.

Four years ago, O’Connor narrowly lost the committee’s endorsement when running against current Mayor Tom Murphy. He later lost to Murphy in the Democratic primary by fewer than 700 votes.

This time, O’Connor comes into the endorsement and primary battles as an odds-on favorite. Like Lamb and Peduto, he hopes to convince voters that he can reform city government.

In his announcement, O’Connor pushed for more “shared services” with Allegheny County in areas including information technology, purchasing, building services and payroll.

O’Connor said that his emphasis on “building relationships” would extend to both organized labor and business, and he promised to bring more economic development to the city.

He suggested, however, that economic development should not take a back seat to the city’s established business community.

“We need to make sure we take care of the companies and small and large businesses already here,” he said. “We need to grow them.”

O’Connor’s last experience in government came as director of Gov. Ed Rendell’s Southwestern regional office. While Rendell has made no endorsement in the mayoral primary, O’Connor touted his connections on the state level.

Pennsylvania’s primary date is set for May 17.