Pittsburgh man ends primary campaign for East End council seat

The slate of candidates seeking a Democratic nomination for an East End Pittsburgh City Council seat is getting smaller by the day.

Community activist Randall Taylor of East Liberty announced on Thursday that he was pulling out of the primary and would run for a District 9 council seat as an independent in the fall election. Leon Ford, an activist who was paralyzed after being shot by Pittsburgh police in 2012, dropped out of the race earlier this month.

“There’s a lot of things we want to say in this race, a lot of things we want to present to the city and the community,” Taylor said. “I just thought, in this crowded, crowded race, it was just going to be difficult for us to be heard the way we want to be heard.”

He said the crowded field increases Councilman Ricky Burgess’ odds of being nominated. Burgess of North Point Breeze is seeking a fourth term. He declined comment.

Candidates remaining in the race include Kierran Young and Stephen Braxton, both of Stanton Heights, and Judith K. Ginyard and Cherylie Fuller, both of Homewood.

Council’s District 9 includes East Hills, East Liberty, Friendship, Garfield, Homewood, Larimer, Lincoln-Lemington, Point Breeze and Stanton Heights. Council members serve four-year terms. The primary is May 21.

Taylor became the second city council candidate to drop out of the primary with plans to run as an independent candidate in the fall.

Troy Hill Democrat Chris Rosselot ended his primary campaign last week and vowed to run as an independent in November for a North Side council seat held by Councilwoman Darlene Harris of Spring Hill, who is seeking re-election. Harris is a Democrat.