Will Tony Moreno run as a Republican in Pittsburgh mayoral race?

Democratic Pittsburgh mayoral candidate Ed Gainey may face a Republican opponent in the fall, based on early results of write-in votes released Tuesday.

Retired Pittsburgh police officer Tony Moreno, 51, of Brighton Heights, has received 1,379 Republican write-in votes thus far. Moreno ran a populist campaign as a Democrat, but finished a distant third in last week’s primary election.

The write-in tally isn’t yet complete, according to Allegheny County spokeswoman Amie Downs. But it puts him far above the 250-vote threshold to get on the ballot as a Republican. Of the 2,136 write-in votes cast, 276 Republican write-ins have yet to be tallied.

“Once all write-ins are complete, all candidates who met the threshold to qualify will receive letters with instructions,” Downs said in an email. “The candidates must file everything that they would have filed had they run for the office and they must also complete, sign (notarized) and return a form to accept the nomination.”

The letters will be sent out once the process to certify the election results is complete. If nominated, candidates have until Aug. 9 to file papers to withdraw from the ballot.

RELATED: Retired Pittsburgh cop Tony Moreno says he dislikes politics

In the Democratic primary, Moreno received 7,390 votes, or about 13% percent of the total. Gainey took 46%, incumbent Mayor Bill Peduto 39.3% and Michael Thompson 1.2%.

Moreno was out of town Wednesday. In a text message, he indicated he hasn’t made a decision on whether he plans on running.

“When I get home I will make sure all things are correct and announce for sure either way,” Moreno wrote in the text.

Allegheny County Republican Committee Chair Sam DeMarco said he’s looking forward to meeting with Moreno soon to “decide where we go from here.”

It isn’t unheard of for Democrats who receive enough votes in the Republican primary to appear on the ballot, DeMarco said, and if Moreno chooses to proceed it will give voters a choice in the fall.

Too often, DeMarco said, Pittsburgh’s political races are decided in the primary and if Moreno is on the ballot voters will have an alternative to Gainey.

RELATED: Ed Gainey defeats Bill Peduto as incumbent concedes

No Republicans ran for their party’s nomination in the primary, but Moreno and Peduto received more than the 250 votes required to get on the general election ballot. Peduto tallied 285 GOP write-in votes, and Gainey received 176 Republican write-in votes, according to unofficial results.

Earlier this week, Peduto said that as a Democrat, he would not seek the office on another party’s ballot.

Moreno touted his perspective as a political outsider opposing Peduto and Gainey, both of whom have made careers out of politics.

Gainey, 51, of Lincoln Lemington is a five-term state representative who represents some of the city’s East End neighborhoods and Wilkinsburg. Peduto, 56, of Point Breeze, was seeking a third term as mayor. Prior to becoming mayor, Peduto represented an East End district on city council, starting in 2001.

In an interview this week, Peduto said he intends to spend 2022 traveling, including a visit to Antarctica, writing and potentially teaching as a visiting scholar at a college. After that, he may pursue a government job outside of Pittsburgh or try to work for a global foundation outside of the city.

RELATED: After loss, Peduto touts progressive movement that propelled Ed Gainey to victory

Gainey said last week he is gearing up for a continued mayoral campaign and a presumed transition into office. A Republican hasn’t served as mayor since the 1930s and the city’s political registrations are overwhelmingly Democratic.

But “you never say never” in politics, Joe DiSarro said. “Expect the upset and you might survive.”

Disarro, a longtime Washington & Jefferson College political science professor and state GOP committee member, said he’d expect Republicans to welcome Moreno on the ticket.

But beating a Democrat in Pittsburgh will be tough, he said.

RELATED: ‘Come on home’: Ed Gainey promises reforms if elected in November

The last Republican mayoral candidate, Josh Wander, moved to Israel before the general election in 2013. In 2007, Mark DeSantis won 910 write-in votes in the Republican primary and mounted an underdog campaign against Luke Ravenstahl.

DiSarro said he was impressed by DeSantis’ campaign, but his tally of 35% of the 2007 general election vote shows how difficult it will be for a Republican to succeed in Pittsburgh.

“But these are different times,” DiSarro said.

Earlier in the campaign, Moreno was scrutinized for old tweets he posted that supported Donald Trump, and he said he changed his registration briefly to Republican briefly before he announced his run for mayor as a Democrat.

“I am pro-union, I am pro-Pittsburgh. People know where I stand, they know who I am,” Moreno said then.