Khari Mosley, a longtime political activist who directs the local advocacy group 1Hood Power, announced Wednesday he will run for Pittsburgh City Council.
Mosley said in his campaign announcement video that he thinks Pittsburgh is at a moment of great political transformation, given the election last year of Ed Gainey to the mayoralty and Summer Lee’s decisive win last month for the U.S. House.
“I believe if we have the courage to be bold, think big and rise up to meet this moment, we can make our city a place to be proud of for generations,” said Mosley, who is married to Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Chelsa Wagner. “I am running to restore faith in the idea that our city government can get the people’s business done, improve the quality of life in every neighborhood and inspire our citizens to believe that Pittsburgh’s best days are yet to come.”
His campaign website outlines nine “action items for a transformative Pittsburgh,” which include issues such as community-driven public safety and public health, accessible transportation, resilient infrastructure and world-class environmental stewardship, among others.
Brandi Fisher, the founder and CEO of the Alliance for Police Accountability, called Mosley “a tireless advocate, innovative problem solver and collaborative bridge builder” in a news release.
Mosley has also previously worked with a variety of elected officials as a political consultant, including District 6 City Councilman R. Daniel Lavelle and former State Rep. Jake Wheatley, now Gainey’s chief of staff.
From 2012 to 2019, Mosley served as the Pennsylvania director for the BlueGreen Alliance, a coalition of the country’s largest labor unions and environmental organizations. He also has experience working for members of City Council, including Bill Peduto, who would later be elected mayor, as well as former Councilman Sala Udin.
Mosley lives in Point Breeze, part of the 9th Council district, which the Rev. Ricky Burgess has represented since 2008.
During a Homewood town hall meeting hosted by Gainey, multiple community members expressed a desire for a change in leadership.
Burgess said Wednesday morning that he wasn’t yet thinking about the election.
“I’m focused on Christmas and New Year’s and my new grandbaby,” he said.
Also up for election next year are councilmembers Bruce Kraus, of the South Side, and Bobby Wilson, of the North Side.
Mosley plans to host a campaign kickoff event at East Liberty’s Blue Sky Bar on Jan. 5 from 6 to 8 p.m.
Jon, a copy editor and reporter at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, is currently on strike and working as a co-editor of the Pittsburgh Union Progress. Reach him at jmoss@unionprogress.com.
Hallie Lauer
Hallie is the City Hall reporter at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but she's currently on strike.