Dems tap Smith for City Council's District 2

from the Pittsburgh Post Gazette

By Timothy McNulty,

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Theresa Smith of Westwood is the Democratic Party's official candidate in the Feb. 3 special election in Pittsburgh City Council District 2. Ms. Smith crushed the competition in a vote by the district's Democratic committee members at the Banksville Pool yesterday, taking 56 of the 75 votes cast. The 49-year-old said she drew from her longtime volunteer experience in the city's western neighborhoods to make her case for the party's nod and plans to do same with voters district-wide. She has been president of the Crafton Heights Westwood Ridgemont Community Council and coordinator of the Parent Educational Resource Center for the Pittsburgh Public Schools.

City zoning administrator Brendan Schubert came in second with 10 committee votes, followed by Rob Frank of Duquesne Heights and Tony Folino of Banksville. The special election will fill the year remaining in the term of the former councilman, Dan Deasy, the new 27th District state representative. Mr. Frank said he will file as an independent to run in the special election. So will Mount Washington's Georgia Blotzer, who did not run for the party nod.

Republican committee members from District 2 will meet this afternoon in Mount Washington to tap their candidate for the Feb. 3 race. The seat will be up for a full, four-year term next year as well, meaning another run for the seat starting with the May 19 primary.

If past special council elections are any indication, some of the same candidates seeking the Democratic nod yesterday may meet again on the ballots in May.

Mr. Frank, 40, of Duquesne Heights, worked for former councilman Gene Ricciardi and has been involved in more than 40 political campaigns. He ran the community group Breachmenders and is a fundraiser for the Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Mr. Schubert, 25, of Westwood, was hired as a city zoning administrator during the Ravenstahl administration and was seen early on as the mayor's preferred pick for the seat.

Mr. Deasy was often a swing vote in the mayor's favor on council, helping to sustain Mr. Ravenstahl's veto of campaign finance changes this summer. That is not to say Ms. Smith would necessarily vote against the mayor -- she opposes city-only campaign finance caps, too, saying rules should be applied statewide.

First published on December 21, 2008 at 12:00 am

Georgia Blotzer is a member of Steel-City Stonewall Democrats.  Steel-City Stonewall Democrats endorsed Rob Frank in his successful run for State Committee