At least 33 mayors who serve in cities and boroughs in Pennsylvania that Donald Trump won in 2016 will endorse Democrat Joe Biden for the presidency on Thursday.
The endorsements will be included in a batch of more than 125 current and former mayors that Mr. Biden’s campaign will roll out later this afternoon, meant to show that local leaders in towns small and large across the swing state are coalescing around the former vice president’s candidacy.
Of the 114 current mayors on the list, at least 49 preside over areas that Democrat Hillary Clinton won four years ago, while a few dozen are in places that helped boost Mr. Trump to a 44,000-vote win in Pennsylvania that was crucial in launching him to the White House.
Putting their support behind Mr. Biden in Allegheny County are Mayors Barry Boucher of Elizabeth Borough, Kevin McKelvey of Dravosburg and Betty Copeland of Bridgeville, who all serve in towns Mr. Trump won.
Also endorsing Mr. Biden while seated in Trump areas in Western Pennsylvania are Derry Mayor Alanna Gaudiello, Greensburg’s Bob Bell, Latrobe’s Rosie Wolford, Eau Claire’s Bruce Toth, Evans City’s Dean Zinkhann, Mars’s Gregg Hartung, Petrolia’s Harry Boltz and Canonsburg’s David Rhome.
Ms. Wolford, in a statement soon to be released by the campaign, said that Mr. Biden “sees the best we can be, and will continually call for us to be more empathetic, more accepting and more united.”
From Allegheny County’s Clinton areas, Mr. Biden will announce endorsements from 12 mayors, including Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto and the mayors of Bellevue, Ben Avon, Blawnox, Braddock, Carnegie, Duquesne, Coraopolis, Dormont, Homestead, Sharpsburg and Turtle Creek.
Mr. Peduto said Mr. Biden has laid out a strategy to end the pandemic that “puts politics aside, saves lives and builds our economy back better.”
“He’s shown that he is the right leader for this unprecedented moment in our history, and will unite us under common purpose,” Mr. Peduto said. “I encourage Pittsburghers to vote for Joe Biden for president to restore our pride, our leadership on the international stage and our soul.”