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Who is Ed Gainey? PA state rep likely to become Pittsburgh's first Black mayor as incumbent Bill Peduto concedes

Gainey, 51, gained momentum with his message, 'For whom is Pittsburgh most livable?' Gainey has reportedly beat the two times incumbent Bill Peduto in a 44 to 42 percent difference

Edward "Ed" Gainey, the Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, is likely to become the first Black Mayor of Pittsburgh. His historic win was acknowledged by incumbent City of Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto who tweeted, "I just called @gainey_ed and congratulated him on earning the Democratic endorsement for Mayor of the city of Pittsburgh. Wishing him well. Thank you Pittsburgh for the honor of being your Mayor these past 8 years. I will remain forever grateful."

Gainey expressed his gratitude with a tweet that stated, "I want to say thank you for everyone’s prayers & support. I thank you for your time, energy & volunteerism. I thank everyone who made phone calls, knocked door, and put a sign in their yard. I want to thank everyone who donated to the campaign." Gainey has reportedly beat the two times incumbent Bill Peduto in a 44 to 42 percent difference.  Gainey, 51, gained momentum with his message, "For whom is Pittsburgh most livable?" -- His question was supported by reports from the many task forces and additional reports that Peduto commissioned to identify 'problems'. His clear message and a call to make history have resonated with the people of Pittsburgh.

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Who is Ed Gainey?

Gainey, the 51-year-old changemaker has been a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives since 2013. Gainey first snagged a seat after beating his former boss, Joseph Preston, Jr, in a Democratic primary in 2012. The representative of the 24th District since 2013 has also served as a community development specialist for Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl and as the Chairman of the Pittsburgh Democratic Committee. Gainey's districts mostly include majority African American neighborhoods in Pittsburgh, including Homewood, East Liberty, East Hills, and Lincoln-Lemington, plus the similar adjacent municipality of Wilkinsburg. Gainey gained an edge since BLM started and Peduto was criticized for equating 'BLM protesters with Trumpkins', a social media user claimed.

Gainey grew up in East Liberty and graduated from Peabody High School. The Democrat did his bachelor's degree in business management from Morgan State University. Gainey worked as the legislative aide to State Representative Joseph Preston, Jr and later accepted a position with the City of Pittsburgh in a community and economic development role, focusing on advancing minority business ventures and bettering 'relationships' with the police force. In 2010, Gainey managed to become the chairman of the city's Democratic Party committee. And finally in 2012, he challenged his former boss Preston, Jr. for the Democratic primary.

While Gainey's historic win comes with the hope of better days, outgoing mayor Peduto was criticized even in his congratulatory tweet to Gainey where users pointed out why the two times winner mayor had lost this one. A user noted, "Things are better than when Bill took office in 2013, but, especially after this past year, #Pittsburgh was in need of change. A big round of applause to everyone who showed up and voted for @gainey_ed in this historic primary."

Peduto also received a ton of positive responses where the public thanked him for guiding them through the 'darkest days.' A user wrote, "You handled one of the darkest days in the history of our city with grace and showed tremendous leadership. I will forever be grateful for that. Wish you well as you finish out your term and transition back into private life."