Another Independent Bid for Mayor: Kevin Acklin

Kevin Acklin has been mentioned (see here and here) as a possible Republican challenger to Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl. Yesterday, he announced that he will run as an Independent:

Today I filed with the Allegheny County Elections Division to register as an Independent. Over the next two months, I’ll be meeting with residents and activists, with public servants and private citizens, with elected officials and community leaders of all parties and political persuasions, to hear more about what they want for Pittsburgh, and to test the waters for an independent mayoral run.

Many people have approached me and encouraged me to seek the Republican nomination for mayor of the city of Pittsburgh. My name has often been mentioned in the press as a potential, even likely, candidate for that nomination. While I appreciate both the support and the encouragement, I’ve decided, after careful thought and deliberation, that I cannot in good conscience follow that path.

I’ve spent countless hours working and volunteering all across Pittsburgh, helping to revitalize the city one project and one neighborhood at a time.. As I've been working in the neighborhoods, many people have approached me to talk about the new kind of leadership they want for Pittsburgh, and they’ve urged me to help bring that change. They’ve told me to listen to my heart, to follow the courage of my convictions, and to consider running for mayor as an Independent. I’ve been listening to them, and I’m going to continue to do so.

I’ve set this timeline and established this process because I want to be sure that whatever I do is in the best interests of the people and the city of Pittsburgh. If I decide to enter the mayor’s race, I want to be the kind of candidate who’s both inspired and empowered by his fellow citizens.. And I pledge to run the kind of campaign that makes it possible to run the best kind of government: one that unites, and that truly speaks for, everyone in the city.

You may remember Acklin as the guy who ran (and lost) against Chuck McCullough for an at-large seat on Allegheny County Council.

While Acklin, an attorney, doesn't appear to have been your typical R (he provides volunteer pro bono legal services for green technology companies, community groups, and victims of domestic violence; he's the founder and Executive Director of RenewPittsburgh which, among other things, helped in the restoration of playwright August Wilson's boyhood home in the Hill District; he attended the January rally for equal rights for the LGBT community) make no mistake, his heart belongs to (the) daddy (party).

If it was up to Acklin, Mittens would be Prez, Missy Hart would be back in the House, and he ♥s Tim Murphy. Ick!

Of course, he'd still be better than Lil Mayor Luke but that's damning him (and anybody else) with faint praise.
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