Bill Peduto facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bill Peduto
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| 60th Mayor of Pittsburgh | |
| In office January 6, 2014 – January 3, 2022 |
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| Preceded by | Luke Ravenstahl |
| Succeeded by | Ed Gainey |
| Member of the Pittsburgh City Council from the 8th district |
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| In office January 7, 2002 – January 6, 2014 |
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| Preceded by | Dan Cohen |
| Succeeded by | Dan Gilman |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
William Mark Peduto
October 30, 1964 Scott Township, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | Carnegie Mellon University Pennsylvania State University, University Park (BA) University of Pittsburgh (MPA) |
William Mark Peduto (born October 30, 1964) is an American politician. He served as the 60th mayor of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His time as mayor was from 2014 to 2022. Before becoming mayor, he was a member of the Pittsburgh City Council. He represented the Democratic Party from 2002 to 2014.
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Early Life and Education
Bill Peduto was born on October 30, 1964. He finished high school at Chartiers Valley High School in 1983. He then went to Carnegie Mellon University for a year. After that, he transferred to Pennsylvania State University. There, he studied political science. He also became the president of a student group called Pi Kappa Alpha.
Peduto took a break from college before finishing his degree. Later, in 2007, he went back to school. He completed his degree requirements at Pennsylvania State University. At that time, he was the only member of the Pittsburgh City Council with a bachelor's degree. He also earned a master's degree. This degree was in public policy and management from the University of Pittsburgh.
Career in Politics
Before joining the city council, Peduto worked in politics. He ran a business that helped political campaigns. He also worked for different Democratic candidates. When he was 28, he served as a political director for Acting Governor Mark Singel. He also worked as an intern in Washington, D.C. for U.S. Representative George Gekas.
Peduto also worked as a chief of staff for City Councilman Dan Cohen. This job helped him learn a lot about how city government works.
Serving on Pittsburgh City Council
In 2001, Bill Peduto ran for a seat on the Pittsburgh City Council. He won the election for District 8. This district includes neighborhoods like Bloomfield and Oakland. He started his term in January 2002. He was reelected two more times, in 2005 and 2009.
On the city council, Peduto led important committees. One committee handled all city contracts and purchases. It also managed city-owned buildings and land. He also oversaw departments like City Information Systems. Peduto believed in making government better and more modern. He was recognized as a rising leader in the Democratic Party.
Running for Mayor
Peduto first ran for mayor of Pittsburgh in 2005. He lost in the primary election. The primary election is when a party chooses its candidate. After the mayor, Bob O'Connor, passed away in 2006, the City Council President, Luke Ravenstahl, became mayor.
Peduto tried to run for mayor again in 2007. He challenged Ravenstahl in a special election. However, he decided to end his campaign before the primary. He saw that Ravenstahl was very popular at the time.
Peduto and Ravenstahl often disagreed on political issues. After being reelected to the city council in 2009, Peduto decided to run for mayor again in 2013.
Mayor of Pittsburgh
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In December 2012, Peduto officially announced his third campaign for mayor. He said he would challenge Mayor Ravenstahl. He quickly gained support from other local leaders. Ravenstahl later decided not to run for another term. This made the election a race between Peduto and former Pennsylvania Auditor General Jack Wagner.
In the primary election on May 21, Peduto won with 52% of the votes. In November 2013, Peduto won the general election. He received 84% of the votes. He was sworn in as mayor on January 6, 2014.
As mayor, Peduto focused on making Pittsburgh's government more modern. He paid special attention to the Department of Permits, Licenses, and Inspections. This department handles building permits. Before 2014, it had old equipment and no online system. Now, the city has a fully online system for permits.
Peduto also supported ride-sharing services in Pittsburgh. He asked the state government to allow companies like Uber and Lyft to operate legally. This helped these services become available in the city.
In 2014, Peduto's administration stopped a lawsuit against UPMC. The previous mayor had started the lawsuit. Peduto believed it was better to talk with UPMC about taxes instead of suing them.
In September 2014, Peduto hired Cameron McLay as Pittsburgh's new Chief of Police. This happened after the previous chief resigned.
Peduto even appeared on the TV show Undercover Boss in December 2014. He disguised himself as a city worker. This allowed him to see how city employees worked every day. He rewarded some workers for their excellent performance. The money for these rewards came from private donations, not city taxes.
During his time as mayor, Peduto worked to improve Pittsburgh's parks. He helped pass a local tax to support park projects. This led to more money for park improvements. He also worked to fix the city's Water and Sewer Authority. After making changes, the authority reported the lowest lead levels in 25 years.
In August 2020, people protested outside Peduto's home. They were protesting police brutality. Peduto later said that protesting in his neighborhood "crosses a line."
Running for Reelection
Peduto announced he would run for reelection in 2017. He won the Democratic primary election. He did not face any Republican challengers in the general election. On November 7, 2017, he was reelected with about 96% of the votes.
In January 2021, Peduto said he would seek a third term as mayor. However, he lost the Democratic primary election to Ed Gainey. His second term as mayor ended in January 2022.
After Being Mayor
In April 2022, Carnegie Mellon University announced that Peduto would join their Heinz College. He worked there as a special executive. He gave lectures and helped teach a course until March 2023.
See also
Images for kids
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Bill Peduto, the 60th Mayor of Pittsburgh.
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Bill Peduto speaking at an event in 2009.
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Mayor Peduto meeting with Secretary Antony Blinken.
