One of the most tightly contested races in the country heads into its last day, with historic issues facing the city.
Mayor Ed Gainey and challenger Corey O’Connor are in the home stretch of a race that some experts say is a battleground for the Democratic party across the nation. On Tuesday, voters will head to the polls to cast their primary election votes that will determine whether Gainey will serve another term as the city’s mayor. The race between Gainey and O’Connor has been historically competitive and explosive, with both candidates highlighting the other’s past. Most recently, the campaign was rocked by leaked messages from a group chat that allegedly showed Gainey’s top aides – including Deputy Mayor Jake Pawlak – coordinating with outside politicians to help the incumbent mayor’s reelection bid.
Several city council members have raised concern over the group chat, calling for deeper investigations and condemning Gainey’s staff for the careless release of the messages. “As you know, coordination between a campaign and an independent expenditure is legally prohibited,” the council said in a statement. The statement was released directly to Mayor Gainey on Monday morning. The three city council members who co-authored the statement have all previously endorsed Corey O’Connor.
O’Connor has notably referenced scandals facing Gainey’s administration, including alleged efforts to block the nomination of former acting police chief Chris Ragland to chief after leaving the police bureau. Ragland was nominated by Gainey just one month prior. O’Connor has also criticized Gainey for his policies on crime and public spending, accusing the mayor of “soft on crime” policies that have led to increasing homicide rates between 2021 and 2023, the early years of Gainey’s first term. A mailer sent from a PAC supporting O’Connor’s bid that drew widespread criticism accused Gainey of bloated government spending and allowing the city’s infrastructure to fall into disrepair. O’Connor denied having any part in the mailer.
Gainey has also accused O’Connor of being represented by wealthy donors and special interest groups, including Republicans, and that he represented a GOP-backed effort to oust Gainey. The mayor’s team has highlighted a decrease in homicide since 2023 and successful efforts to assemble a $600 million downtown revitalization plan as part of his achievements. O’Connor has pointed to statements from economists and council finance chair Erika Strassburger warning of an “imminent financial disaster.” O’Connor accused Gainey of misuse of the government’s budget and putting the city on a dangerous path. Gainey has acknowledged that the city could be heading for “lean years” after 2025.
In a recent debate, the final meeting between the two candidates before Tuesday’s primary, O’Connor and Gainey sparred over budget issues, where the mayor touted his administration’s “incredible job” managing the difficult budget situation. Internal polls have shown O’Connor’s once sizable lead in the primary as having “diminished considerably” in recent weeks.
