Search
Close this search box.

Ferlo Backs Jack

Ferlo Wagner event
Sen. Ferlo endorses Jack Wagner

State Sen. Jim Ferlo, who just days ago was a candidate for Pittsburgh Mayor, has backed former Pa. Auditor General Jack Wagner in the race.

“We need a hands on manager of the public trust and someone who has the skills to leverage limited resources, hold out workforce and everyone involved in city government, to a high standard of performance and accountability … basically Grant Street needs a new sheriff in town,” Ferlo said, reported by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Ferlo has a lot of ties in town. He was a close ally of Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, who decided last month not to seek re-election. He hails from the same part of the city as Bill Peduto and they share a political base of progressive Democrats.

Ferlo officially dropped from the race this week, his withdrawn at the last minute. Rumors had spread that Ferlo might stay on the ballot in order to split the Peduto vote, but a Wagner source says Wagner’s campaign shot down the idea.

Here are the endorsements in the race so far:

City Controller Michael Lamb has been endorsed by the Allegheny County Democratic Committee and the Teamsters Joint Council #40.

Peduto has been endorsed by:

Elected officials Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald, State Senator Wayne Fontana, State Rep. Ed Gainey, State Rep. Erin C. Molchany of Mount Washington, City Councilman Bruce Kraus of the South Side, and City Councilwoman Natalia Rudiak of Carrick. Gainey resigned his position as Chair of the Pittsburgh Democratic Committee to avoid a conflict with the committee’s endorsement of Lamb.

Local unions Ironworkers Local Union No. 3; Fraternal Association of Professional Paramedics, Local 1; the United Steel Workers; Steelworkers Organization of Active Retirees; SEIU Local 32BJ, the largest property service workers union in the country; and the Laborers’ District Council of Western Pennsylvania.

In addition to Ferlo, Wagner today won the support of the Pittsburgh Firefighters (IAFF); Pittsburgh Police (FOP); Operating Engineers Local 66; and Teamsters Local 249. PoliticsPA will update with a full list.

4 Responses

  1. The picture says it all – a dozen white guys representing Labor and Politics in Western PA. And do we think that a Wagner Administration in Pittsburgh would look any different?

  2. Schrewd?
    Ferlo was the only one to support the drink tax. And he would have come in dead last because of it. A fact his people educated him on the week he announced his candidacy.
    How about just plain dumb? Arrogant and dumb.

  3. The labor endorsements are a good step for the Wagner campaign which appears to be gaining momentum while the other candidates stall. Ferlo is really interesting because he is a very shrewd political player and he might be smelling something going on here after the stumbles and bumbles of the local insiders who Wagner is taking on.

Email:
  • Do you agree that ByteDance should be forced to divest TikTok?


    • Yes. It's a national security risk. (60%)
    • No. It's an app used by millions and poses no threat. (40%)
    • What's ByteDance? (0%)

    Total Voters: 30

    Loading ... Loading ...
Continue to Browser

PoliticsPA

To install tap and choose
Add to Home Screen