Just weeks after a special election determined who would finish out newly elected Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey’s term in the state House, three Democrats are running to win a full, four-year term in the seat starting early next year.

Democrat Martell Covington, a former legislative aide to state Sen. Jay Costa, won the special election in April, defeating Republican Todd Elliott Koger by a more than 16-to-1 margin.

Now, he’s facing a challenge from reproductive rights advocate La’Tasha Mayes and fair housing activist Randall Taylor in Tuesday’s Democratic primary. No Republicans are running.

Mayes and Taylor also sought the Democratic nomination in the special election race, finishing second and third behind Covington.

Covington, of Homewood, said a cornerstone of his campaign is reducing gun violence — an issue that he said has become increasingly urgent in the wake of recent acts of violence in the area, he said.

“These issues are happening all over the city, all over the country and in our district,” Covington said, referring to gun violence. “We really have to continue to sound the alarm about the importance of public safety and how safety is impacting public health.”

Covington said he wants to bring elected officials, law enforcement, psychologists and residents together to discuss potential solutions that could be reached through collaboration, adding, “(The problem) cannot and will not be solved in isolation.”

Covington said he wants to create “safe spaces” with increased lighting, additional surveillance cameras and some form of neighborhood patrol to ensure people have an area where they feel safe in the community.

“We have to be intentional about creating safe public spaces,” Covington said, adding that he already has discussed potential legislation on the matter.

Mayes, of Morningside, also identified gun violence as a main concern throughout the district, which includes many East End neighborhoods and Wilkinsburg.

“We are all impacted by gun violence, but we’re not impacted in the same way,” Mayes said, explaining that she also wants to see increased focus on domestic violence and intimate partner violence prevention.

To help combat gun violence, along with targeted violence against members of the LGBTQIA+ community, Mayes said she believes officials need to address problems with equity and access to education and employment. She pushed for trauma-informed interventions to support people who have lost loved ones to gun violence.

As a Black lesbian woman, Mayes said she’s particularly concerned about equity for marginalized communities, especially in terms of education. If elected, she would be the first Black lesbian woman in the state House.

Mayes said she is a pro-choice reproductive rights advocate and, if elected, would work to ensure women still have access to abortions and other health care services if Roe v. Wade is overturned.

“What we’re facing in terms of the end of Roe v. Wade, how we’re still recovering from covid-19, how we’re still confronting white supremacy and patriarchal violence as we’re fighting for the future of our planet to advance climate change, the voters of the district need to send a leader to Harrisburg that is prepared to fight in those issues,” Mayes said.

Taylor did not respond to multiple interview requests from the Tribune-Review.

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