Pittsburgh City Councilman Anthony Coghill declares victory with wide lead in reelection bid

In the only contested race for a Pittsburgh City Council seat this year, first-term Councilman Anthony Coghill led challenger Connor Mulvaney by a wide margin late Tuesday.

Coghill, 55, a Democrat from Beechview, and Mulvaney, 28, a Green Party candidate from Brookline, are vying to represent District 4, which includes the neighborhoods of Beechview, Bon Air, Brookline, Carrick, Mt. Washington and Overbrook.

With about 91% of precincts reporting unofficial results just before midnight, Coghill had collected just over 68% of the votes counted, while Mulvaney had nearly 31%.

Coghill said he declared victory among members of his campaign’s inner circle before 9 p.m., though Mulvaney had not yet conceded as of about 11 p.m.

“I have a lot of respect for the fight they put up,” Coghill said of Mulvaney and his supporters.

Coghill said he had felt confident in his victory from early on in the race.

“That’s (because of) the people in the district saying, ‘Keep doing what you’re doing,’” Coghill said. “I am thankful. I love working with the people in the 4th District. They direct me. I feel like it’s a mandate on the energy and what I bring to the job.”

Mulvaney said he had anticipated Coghill would take an early lead with mail-in ballots. He said he was still “very confident” in his chance of winning.

“We’re stilling watching and waiting for every vote to be counted,” Mulvaney said.

As a former contractor, Coghill said he has emphasized infrastructure projects during his first term and would continue to do so in his second. He touted initiatives to remove dilapidated buildings and launch paving projects. He also highlighted his work to bring a Public Works division back to the district.

Coghill told the Tribune-Review prior to the election that he wanted to continue in his second term focusing on infrastructure projects such as paving, while also working toward a new development in Carrick called Burgh Place. He said that development would revitalize an area of abandoned buildings on Brownsville Road, potentially bringing housing, shopping and a grocery store.

Mulvaney, a bicycle technician and political activist, said he felt community concerns were not being heard on Grant Street. He had campaigned on promises to hear input from the community and to take into account expertise from community activists.

His platform also called for mandatory affordable housing in new developments, rental assistance and a change in how officials handle evictions. He also called for more emphasis on combating climate change.