Pittsburgh mayor defeats 2 opponents in primary
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Mayor Luke Ravenstahl enjoyed a decisive victory Tuesday over his two opponents in the Democratic primary, paving the way for him to win his first full term in the office he’s held for nearly three years.
With 99 percent of precincts reporting, Ravenstahl had 59 percent of the vote, or 25,961 votes. City Councilman Patrick Dowd followed with 27 percent, or 12,214 votes, and ex-police Officer Carmen Robinson had 13 percent, or 5,778 votes. The Republican ticket was empty.
And in a city that hasn’t elected a Republican mayor since the Great Depression and where Democrats hold a 5-1 ratio advantage in registered voters, Ravenstahl could coast easily to victory in the November general election.
But this year, Ravenstahl will have some competition from two independent candidates, Franco “Dok” Harris, son of Pittsburgh Steelers great Franco Harris, and community activist Kevin Acklin.
Ravenstahl said he had hoped to win 50 percent of the vote and was pleasantly surprised at what he called an “overwhelming victory.” Now, he’ll focus on the November ballot.
As city council president, Ravenstahl first entered the mayor’s office in September 2006 at the age of 26, replacing Bob O’Connor, who died just eight months into office of a rare brain cancer.
Ravenstahl immediately stole the national spotlight, landing himself a seat next to David Letterman on “The Late Show” as the youngest mayor of a major city.
Since then, Ravenstahl has generated a bit of controversy and been dragged through the local media for running what they called an administration that lacks transparency.
Still, Pittsburgh is kind to incumbents. Ravenstahl easily won a November 2007 special election that allowed him to complete his predecessor’s term.
Dowd said he got into the race 90 days ago knowing it was a long shot but felt “it was important for the people of Pittsburgh to have a choice.”
By raising the issues of job growth, debt and ethics in the campaign, Dowd said “the mayor now has to live up to that and make sure that he delivers” on the promises he made.
Robinson said she will run again in four years. In the meantime, she promised not to give Ravenstahl an easy ride.
“We’re going to have much more debate,” she said, vowing to make sure Ravenstahl takes care of her neighborhood, the Hill District, one of Pittsburgh’s most distressed areas.
Seth Williams is the winner of the five-way Democratic primary for Philadelphia district attorney.
Williams has 40,192 votes, or about 41 percent, with 86 percent of precincts reporting. If he wins the general election, he would be Philadelphia’s first black DA.
The city has for years struggled to curb gun violence and secure the cooperation of witnesses to major crimes.
Williams bested four other former assistant prosecutors, including Dan McCaffery. McCaffery had 29,585 votes, or about 30 percent.
Williams will be the favorite against uncontested Republican candidate Michael Untermeyer in November. Nearly 80 percent of the city’s voters are Democrats.
Incumbent Lynne Abraham isn’t running.
Pennsylvania Republicans have picked Joan Orie Melvin to be their standard-bearer for an open seat on the state Supreme Court this fall. Both major parties were settling nomination contests for the other two statewide appellate courts in Tuesday’s primary.
With more than half of the precincts reporting, Melvin claimed 55 percent of the vote. She’s a Superior Court judge from Pittsburgh who carried the Republican State Committee’s endorsement. Superior Court Judge Cheryl Allen had 29 percent and Philadelphia Judge Paul Panepinto had 16 percent.
She will be the GOP nominee against Democrat Jack Panella. He’s a Superior Court judge from Northampton County who was unopposed in the primary.