Pittsburgh mayor Ravenstahl against marriage equality; probable challenger Peduto in favor

Top: councilman Bill Peduto (photo: Pittsburgh City Paper);
bottom: Mayor Luke Ravenstahl (photo: Peter Diana,
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

From a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette piece on the gulf between between mayoral support of marriage in eastern and western Pennsylvania comes the delineation of the sharp contrast between Pittsburgh's current mayor, Luke Ravenstahl, and probable challenger, City Councilman Bill Peduto:

Joanna Doven, a spokeswoman for Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, said he does not support gay marriage and would not sign the Mayors for the Freedom to Marry statement...

     City Councilman Bill Peduto, a likely challenger to Mr. Ravenstahl in next year's election, said he would support Mayors for the Freedom to Marry.

     "Fairness and equality are the basis of this country," he said. "Supporting same-sex marriage is something I've supported throughout my career."