The race for Pittsburgh's next mayor is taking shape, with another local leader throwing his hat into the ring.
Last week, Mayor Bill Peduto announced he was running for a third term in office.
This week, State Representative Ed Gainey, who oversees a portion of Eastern Allegheny County, announced his candidacy.
He told KDKA Radio's Lynne Hayes-Freeland that he has plans for the city of bridges.
"I want to build a bridge between old and new Pittsburgh and I want to see Pittsburgh grow by removing the disparity," Gainey told KDKA Radio's Lynne Hayes-Freeland.
He described his goal to make Pittsburgh live up to its label of a "Most Liveable City."
"Let's create the access and opportunity and make this the most livable city that it can be when we work together," he said.
Seemingly taking a swipe at Peduto's performance over the duration of his administration, Gainey said it's time to act.
"The administration has promised to unite our city," he said. "But we know, in our city we know, too many people have been left out, pushed out; our city is very divided when we need to unify.
Gainey went on to say "I've always fought to build bridges throughout this city so that we can have a more inclusive city and that's work that has to happen every single day. And when we don't do that work, then we can't grow. Everyone in this city, we have to uplift. Every neighborhood, every community - we have to uplift. And if it hasn't happened in eight years, it's not going to be done in the next four," said Gainey. "So we need to plant a new seed and ensure that we're doing the things that build a united Pittsburgh."
Gainey currently serves as a Representative for State Legislative District 24, which covers East Pittsburgh neighborhoods including Lincoln-Lemington, Belmar, Highland Park, and Wilkinsburg.
He was first elected to the House in 2012.
The Primary election is scheduled for May 18th.