Congressional candidate Steve Irwin endorsed by Western Pa. building trades group

The Laborers’ District Council of Western PA said Thursday it is endorsing Pittsburgh attorney Steve Irwin in the Democratic primary race in Pennsylvania’s 12th Congressional District.

“There’s only one candidate in this race who has shown a commitment to protecting blue-collar jobs and growing the middle class, and that candidate is Steve Irwin,” said Philip Ameris, president and business manager of the Laborers’ District Council of Western PA, a collection of 10 building trades unions.

Irwin, of Squirrel Hill, is seeking the Democratic nomination in the race to replace long-time U.S. Rep. Mike Doyle, D-Forest Hills, who is not seeking another term. He faces University of Pittsburgh law professor Jerry Dickinson, state Rep. Summer Lee and nonprofit founder Jeffrey Woodward in the May 17 primary.

Irwin also has received support from some officials aligned with large building trades labor unions, including Doyle and Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald. The 12th District includes Pittsburgh, eastern and southern suburbs of Allegheny County and part of Westmoreland County.

The Laborers’ District Council of Western PA’s endorsement comes on the heels of controversy surrounding the Irwin campaign. Earlier this week, the campaign admitted that some of the nominating petition signatures it submitted were forged. The forgeries were tied to petition gatherer Kirk Rice, and the Irwin campaign said it referred petitions gathered by Rice to the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office.

A spokesperson for the Laborers’ District Council of Western PA declined to comment on that issue.

The Laborers’ District Council of Western PA’s endorsement was granted in part to Irwin because of his past work helping to secure federal funding for the East Busway and other infrastructure projects, according to Ameris. Irwin is a partner at Leech Tishman in Pittsburgh and is the former head of the Pennsylvania Securities Commission.

“The (Laborers’ District Council of Western PA) provides tens of thousands of family-sustaining, blue-collar jobs to our region,” Irwin said in a release. “When I get to Congress I will work with President Biden to pass legislation that keeps infrastructure funding flowing to our region to keep families safe and secure more long-term jobs.”