Allegheny County's Democratic Committee has endorsed Corey O’Connor in Pittsburgh's mayoral race.
However, the voting was close enough to require a recount Monday.
The committee's endorsement comes about three months from the May 20 primary election.
O'Connor has been up over incumbent Democratic mayor Ed Gainey in recent polls.
The Gainey campaign issued a statement saying the close vote demonstrates what it calls "the Mayor's strength against establishment leadership in the Democratic Committee."
O’Connor say the vote shows that Democrats in Pittsburgh want a change.
“I just think it’s a desperation sign from the mayor to criticize his own party, which he was the chair of, to say that their votes don’t mean anything,” said O’Connor.
O’Connor adds that the vote also shows that his campaign has a “grassroots message is hitting everywhere across Pittsburgh and that leaders in the party know that we need a change.”
Two other endorsements will be recounted today.
That for Carlos Thomas running for a City School Board seat and for Kathleen Madonna Emmerling, running for County Council District One.
Mayor Gainey’s full statement reads:
“If there’s anything the first months of the Trump administration have taught us, it’s that Democratic voters want leaders who will put the needs of regular people over powerful corporations, billionaires, union busting CEOs, predatory landlords and developers, and MAGA billionaires ripping Pittsburghers off. Some of our city’s Democratic leadership want to move backward to an era they were comfortable with, but I’ve spent my first term pushing us forward.
“In my first term, we’ve taken UPMC to court to make them pay their fair share, we’ve built more affordable housing than any administration in 20 years, and we are now doubling down on our fight against big developers with our Keep Pittsburgh Home Plan to stop out-of-town developers from pricing Pittsburghers out. In May, Democratic voters can keep moving forward on the transformational progress we’ve delivered and protect against Trump, his cronies, and real-estate tycoons. I welcome every person in Pittsburgh to join us in that fight.”