AARP: O’Connor Holds Significant Lead Over Gainey Among Over-50 Set
Pittsburgh survey favors O’Connor, Tony Moreno as mayoral candidates
April 8, 2025
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Pittsburgh survey favors O’Connor, Tony Moreno as mayoral candidates
It’s a small sample size that could mean more than you think.
AARP commissioned a survey of 805 voters living in Pittsburgh. And while 805 is a relatively small number when looking at the entire city, the 50-and-older demographic polled is one that constitutes a significant voting bloc and could decide the next mayor.
In the 2021 mayoral primary, voters 50-and-older made up 57 percent of the voters, and they represented 60 percent of the voters in the general election. Respondents to this survey, conducted in March, said 89 percent of them planned to vote in the May 20 primary and preferred Corey O’Connor on the Democratic side and Tony Moreno among the GOP candidates.
O’Connor, the Allegheny County Controller, received 58 percent support, compared to just 24% for incumbent Ed Gainey. O’Connor was strongest among those 65-and-over (65%), white voters (69%) and those with some college educational background (66%). Gainey, the first Black mayor in the city’s history, drew his best support from those 50-to-64 (31%), those with four-year college degrees (27%) and Blacks (62%). Sixteen percent of those surveyed were undecided or unsure as to their preferred candidate.
Moreno was easily the choice of GOP respondents at 46% to just six percent for Thomas West. But nearly half of those surveyed (46%) said they were undecided on unsure as the their choice.
Pittsburgh’s voter registration demographics are heavily skewed Democrat, so it is anticipated that its party’s primary would most likely be victorious in November and determine the occupant in City Hall come January.
The survey also showed that Gainey’s approval rating among those 50-and-over was at 34 percent overall, with just 39% of Democrats approving to just 18% of Republicans. Gainey’s 34% number was lower than the rating achieved by City Council which came in at 39%.
Not surprisingly, African-Americans approve of Gainey’s performance by a 2-to-1 margin (68%), but the incumbent mayor is underwater among all other groups.
Half of respondents indicated that they felt the economy in Pittsburgh is getting weaker, while a third agreed with the statement that they are struggling to keep up or are falling behind financially.
Among other issues, Pittsburgh voters 50-plus are looking for the next mayor to address the following:
AARP commissioned American Directions Research Group to conduct a survey of 805 voters 50 and older living in Pittsburgh, PA. The interviews were conducted March 12–19, 2025, by phone and online, with 650 live phone interviews (80.75 percent) and 155 (19.25 percent) from an opt-in panel sample list of registered voters age 50+ living in Pittsburgh. The data were weighted by age and gender to reflect registered voters in Pittsburgh age 50 or older, based on the population of registered voters 50-plus from the sample source. Confidence Interval: Total sample: ± 3.40%
It’s a small sample size that could mean more than you think.
AARP commissioned a survey of 805 voters living in Pittsburgh. And while 805 is a relatively small number when looking at the entire city, the 50-and-older demographic polled is one that constitutes a significant voting bloc and could decide the next mayor.
In the 2021 mayoral primary, voters 50-and-older made up 57 percent of the voters, and they represented 60 percent of the voters in the general election. Respondents to this survey, conducted in March, said 89 percent of them planned to vote in the May 20 primary and preferred Corey O’Connor on the Democratic side and Tony Moreno among the GOP candidates.
O’Connor, the Allegheny County Controller, received 58 percent support, compared to just 24% for incumbent Ed Gainey. O’Connor was strongest among those 65-and-over (65%), white voters (69%) and those with some college educational background (66%). Gainey, the first Black mayor in the city’s history, drew his best support from those 50-to-64 (31%), those with four-year college degrees (27%) and Blacks (62%). Sixteen percent of those surveyed were undecided or unsure as to their preferred candidate.
Moreno was easily the choice of GOP respondents at 46% to just six percent for Thomas West. But nearly half of those surveyed (46%) said they were undecided on unsure as the their choice.
Pittsburgh’s voter registration demographics are heavily skewed Democrat, so it is anticipated that its party’s primary would most likely be victorious in November and determine the occupant in City Hall come January.
The survey also showed that Gainey’s approval rating among those 50-and-over was at 34 percent overall, with just 39% of Democrats approving to just 18% of Republicans. Gainey’s 34% number was lower than the rating achieved by City Council which came in at 39%.
Not surprisingly, African-Americans approve of Gainey’s performance by a 2-to-1 margin (68%), but the incumbent mayor is underwater among all other groups.
Half of respondents indicated that they felt the economy in Pittsburgh is getting weaker, while a third agreed with the statement that they are struggling to keep up or are falling behind financially.
Among other issues, Pittsburgh voters 50-plus are looking for the next mayor to address the following:
AARP commissioned American Directions Research Group to conduct a survey of 805 voters 50 and older living in Pittsburgh, PA. The interviews were conducted March 12–19, 2025, by phone and online, with 650 live phone interviews (80.75 percent) and 155 (19.25 percent) from an opt-in panel sample list of registered voters age 50+ living in Pittsburgh. The data were weighted by age and gender to reflect registered voters in Pittsburgh age 50 or older, based on the population of registered voters 50-plus from the sample source. Confidence Interval: Total sample: ± 3.40%
It’s a small sample size that could mean more than you think.
AARP commissioned a survey of 805 voters living in Pittsburgh. And while 805 is a relatively small number when looking at the entire city, the 50-and-older demographic polled is one that constitutes a significant voting bloc and could decide the next mayor.
In the 2021 mayoral primary, voters 50-and-older made up 57 percent of the voters, and they represented 60 percent of the voters in the general election. Respondents to this survey, conducted in March, said 89 percent of them planned to vote in the May 20 primary and preferred Corey O’Connor on the Democratic side and Tony Moreno among the GOP candidates.
O’Connor, the Allegheny County Controller, received 58 percent support, compared to just 24% for incumbent Ed Gainey. O’Connor was strongest among those 65-and-over (65%), white voters (69%) and those with some college educational background (66%). Gainey, the first Black mayor in the city’s history, drew his best support from those 50-to-64 (31%), those with four-year college degrees (27%) and Blacks (62%). Sixteen percent of those surveyed were undecided or unsure as to their preferred candidate.
Moreno was easily the choice of GOP respondents at 46% to just six percent for Thomas West. But nearly half of those surveyed (46%) said they were undecided on unsure as the their choice.
Pittsburgh’s voter registration demographics are heavily skewed Democrat, so it is anticipated that its party’s primary would most likely be victorious in November and determine the occupant in City Hall come January.
The survey also showed that Gainey’s approval rating among those 50-and-over was at 34 percent overall, with just 39% of Democrats approving to just 18% of Republicans. Gainey’s 34% number was lower than the rating achieved by City Council which came in at 39%.
Not surprisingly, African-Americans approve of Gainey’s performance by a 2-to-1 margin (68%), but the incumbent mayor is underwater among all other groups.
Half of respondents indicated that they felt the economy in Pittsburgh is getting weaker, while a third agreed with the statement that they are struggling to keep up or are falling behind financially.
Among other issues, Pittsburgh voters 50-plus are looking for the next mayor to address the following:
AARP commissioned American Directions Research Group to conduct a survey of 805 voters 50 and older living in Pittsburgh, PA. The interviews were conducted March 12–19, 2025, by phone and online, with 650 live phone interviews (80.75 percent) and 155 (19.25 percent) from an opt-in panel sample list of registered voters age 50+ living in Pittsburgh. The data were weighted by age and gender to reflect registered voters in Pittsburgh age 50 or older, based on the population of registered voters 50-plus from the sample source. Confidence Interval: Total sample: ± 3.40%
It’s a small sample size that could mean more than you think.
AARP commissioned a survey of 805 voters living in Pittsburgh. And while 805 is a relatively small number when looking at the entire city, the 50-and-older demographic polled is one that constitutes a significant voting bloc and could decide the next mayor.
In the 2021 mayoral primary, voters 50-and-older made up 57 percent of the voters, and they represented 60 percent of the voters in the general election. Respondents to this survey, conducted in March, said 89 percent of them planned to vote in the May 20 primary and preferred Corey O’Connor on the Democratic side and Tony Moreno among the GOP candidates.
O’Connor, the Allegheny County Controller, received 58 percent support, compared to just 24% for incumbent Ed Gainey. O’Connor was strongest among those 65-and-over (65%), white voters (69%) and those with some college educational background (66%). Gainey, the first Black mayor in the city’s history, drew his best support from those 50-to-64 (31%), those with four-year college degrees (27%) and Blacks (62%). Sixteen percent of those surveyed were undecided or unsure as to their preferred candidate.
Moreno was easily the choice of GOP respondents at 46% to just six percent for Thomas West. But nearly half of those surveyed (46%) said they were undecided on unsure as the their choice.
Pittsburgh’s voter registration demographics are heavily skewed Democrat, so it is anticipated that its party’s primary would most likely be victorious in November and determine the occupant in City Hall come January.
The survey also showed that Gainey’s approval rating among those 50-and-over was at 34 percent overall, with just 39% of Democrats approving to just 18% of Republicans. Gainey’s 34% number was lower than the rating achieved by City Council which came in at 39%.
Not surprisingly, African-Americans approve of Gainey’s performance by a 2-to-1 margin (68%), but the incumbent mayor is underwater among all other groups.
Half of respondents indicated that they felt the economy in Pittsburgh is getting weaker, while a third agreed with the statement that they are struggling to keep up or are falling behind financially.
Among other issues, Pittsburgh voters 50-plus are looking for the next mayor to address the following:
AARP commissioned American Directions Research Group to conduct a survey of 805 voters 50 and older living in Pittsburgh, PA. The interviews were conducted March 12–19, 2025, by phone and online, with 650 live phone interviews (80.75 percent) and 155 (19.25 percent) from an opt-in panel sample list of registered voters age 50+ living in Pittsburgh. The data were weighted by age and gender to reflect registered voters in Pittsburgh age 50 or older, based on the population of registered voters 50-plus from the sample source. Confidence Interval: Total sample: ± 3.40%
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Total Voters: 62
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