David Tessitor
Pittsburgh City Council - District 2
Empowered by GoodParty.org
About the Office
The City Legislature is the municipality's governing body, responsible for voting on ordinances and policies, and often is in charge of hiring a city manager.
Term Length
4 years
Election Date
Nov 4, 2025
About Me
Party
Other
Occupation
Retired
Fun Fact
My father taught me to read blueprints 2 years before I could read and write, then he died suddenly a few months later. I was raised with his legacy of being known for his honesty, technical competence, and his compassion. I didn't know the world to be any different until I became involved in uncovering public corruption. I was raised by my widowed mother who as a poorly paid teacher kept us afloat in an affluent neighborhood where we were the poor family. Our family philosophy was that we had no right to complain about anything unless we did what we could first to change it - that applied to the dishes in the sink and the society around us. I have tried to live by that legacy ever since.
Past Experience
I have been fighting public corruption for over 4 decades and working on important City issues for over 35 years.
● As the Executive Director of the North Area Environmental Council, I revitalized an organization that was ready to close its doors. In my 18 months there, I started 5 areas of programming and the organization continued operations for 35 more years.
● I founded E Watch, a volunteer monitoring undertaking which assisted environmental agencies and citizen efforts.
● I co-founded and was project director of The American Town & Country Alliance, a Tides Center Project, during which I initiated the Citizen Advisory Panel of the Southwestern PA Regional Planning Commission.
● As the eventual Chair of the CAP of SPRPC, I uncovered and pursued massive public corruption and falsifications used to take 40% of federal money needed to maintain the existing infrastructure to subsidize real estate speculation.
● I fought the takeover by corporate interests of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh and helped stop their attempt to close several branch libraries. I created PittsburghFree.Net and have hosted public interest websites for free through it for over 20 years after the Library canceled its Three Rivers Free-Net.
● I have organized and led court cases to expose and stop the fraudulent use of $326 million in federal funding on the Airport Busway, taking the case to the PA Supreme Court and US Appeal Court. I organized and led a legal battle to save the historic Greater Pittsburgh Airport terminal building, once the largest airport in the world for its first 20 years, taking the case as high as the US Supreme Court.
● I created the Pittsburgh Area New Direction Alternative (PANDA) and PANDApage.org as a platform of proposals for new challenging candidates for public office to use with their campaigns.
● I wrote and organized an effort for the proposed Open Government Amendment to the Pittsburgh City Charter, only to have the mayor get a judge to remove it from the ballot a day before they went to print so we could not get it back on appeal.
● I have extensive experience with bottom-up efforts for better governance, assisting a number of citizen efforts over the years.
● I am a 20 year member and participant with the Black Political Empowerment Project (B-PEP) to get African-Americans to vote in each and every election. I am a more recent member of the Pittsburgh NAACP.
● I have a history of not having the wool pulled over my eyes and doggedly pursuing justice for those not able to do so by themselves.
My Top Issues
Private/public community revitalization efforts
Revitalization must be through a comprehensive approach which creates jobs and business opportunities for those living in the communities by refurbishing distressed properties as individual contracts that locals can bid upon. Additionally, business technical assistance needs to be included to make sure those without business experience or training can start their own companies and get started with the revitalization efforts.
Increasing affordable housing options
Revitalization of distressed properties can produce reduced cost housing and create opportunities for sweat equity programs that give those able to buy into a property by providing their labor as a down payment.
Expanding public transportation options
With a policy of moving commerce and investment from the city to the airport area, adding a rapid rail connection between them can help to reverse the out-migration by effectively moving the airport into the city instead of the other way around.
Who I'm Running Against
Kim Salinetro (Democrat Party)
Current Chief of Staff of the incumbent
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