Two independent candidates vying for seats on Allegheny County Council and identifying as socialists have announced that they are endorsing each other and will partner in their campaigns.
Carl Redwood and Sam Schmidt plan to work together to offer a “shared vision of putting people over profits in Allegheny County,” the two announced in a news release on Thursday. Redwood is running in District 10, Schmidt in District 13.
Both candidates are endorsed by the Pittsburgh Democratic Socialists of America.
Redwood and Schmidt say the multiple problems facing Allegheny County in housing, food access, union busting, pollution and climate change, are the result of a system that puts basic needs out of the reach of those who can’t afford them. The county, they say, prioritizes the needs of corporations and those who profit from them.
“As we join County Council, we will continue to advance an agenda to change our county for the better as we advocate and fight for reprioritizing our government around socialist principles,” says Redwood of what he sees as the outcome of he and Schmidt working together during both of their candidacies.
“As I announce my collaboration with Carl Redwood, a stalwart advocate for social justice and fellow independent socialist on the ballot, I’m proud to continue and join in his ingenuity by partnering in a collective movement to transform the way we govern and the way we meet the needs of our communities. I am honored to share this moment with such a proven, insightful community leader,” says Schmidt.
The candidates say they will work together to let voters know they can vote for independent candidates in the Nov. 7 election and will share resources, beginning with joint fundraising efforts and a joint canvass launch at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 17, at Bloomfield Park.
The PUP is the publication of the striking workers at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
