Allegheny County Councilman Tom Duerr will not seek re-election

Allegheny County Councilman Tom Duerr (D-Bethel Park) will not seek re-election after his term expires next year, according to an official statement released this afternoon.

The first councilman says he wants to end his current role to advance his career “either politically as a candidate seeking higher office, or professionally, continuing his work as a Democratic campaign worker here in Southwestern Pennsylvania.” .

Durr claims he was the youngest councilor in the county’s history when he took office in 2020 at the age of 24. Before his election, the Bethel Park native worked on political campaigns for a number of moderate Democratic candidates, including Congressman Connor Lamb and former state Sen. Pam Iovino.

Durham’s electoral district, District 5, encompasses several South Hills communities, including Bethel Park, Upper St. Clair, Mount Lebanon and Bridgeville.

Before stepping down, Durr says he wants to continue working to ensure the passage of bills he recently introduced to “protect access to abortion” and to approve appointments to the newly created police review board.

“I believe that at the end of my term,” Durr wrote, “my district and our district will be in a better place than when I began.”

He says being in the position “has been one of the most incredibly rewarding and challenging experiences of my life,” according to his statement. “With every vote, I’ve tried to give the residents of Bethel Park, Bridgeville, Mount Lebanon and Upper St. Clair a representative who brings a balanced and pragmatic approach to the Council at a time when, in my view, that kind of thinking is becoming increasingly difficult and harder to find at all our levels of government.”