Pittsburgh's Great Young Hope

Smokestacks still rise above the three rivers in Pittsburgh, once home to America's steel industry. But today, so do new stadiums, museums and high-tech businesses. It's more than a face-lift — Pittsburghers are trying to draw new money and new energy to town.

Leading the welcome wagon is 27-year-old Luke Ravenstahl. He is America's youngest big city mayor and was thrust into a situation no one saw coming.

Last September popular mayor Bob O'Connor died weeks after he was diagnosed with a fast-developing brain tumor. His death stunned the city. Ravenstahl was catapulted from relative obscurity as city council president into the national spotlight, but he never doubted that he could do the job.

"I never did — honestly, I never did," he told Sunday Morning correspondent Joie Chen. "We knew as a family it would be difficult because of the frenzy and the circumstances under which I would become mayor. But I never had any doubt that I was able to do the job."

He has his work cut out for him. Two years ago, the state pulled Pittsburgh back from the brink of bankruptcy.

"We're upside-down financially, as many Northeastern cities are," Pittsburgh Tribune Review columnist Joseph Mistick said. "We have more revenues going out than coming in."

The other day, the Penguins, the town's hockey team, threatened to leave if they don't get a new arena. In this sports-crazy city, that's a big deal.

Ravenstahl is well aware of that; his family has deep roots here. His grandfather was a state lawmaker who once ran for mayor himself and his father is a prominent judge. The young mayor's resume reads like a playbook for his political ambitions: High school class president, star kicker on his college team, elected to city council at age 23, and married to his high school sweetheart.

"It was hard at first for us to kind of step in and have all these people say, 'Mr. Mayor, Mrs. Mayor, First Lady,'" his wife Erin, who works as a beautician, said. "I still don't consider myself a political wife. Some days we sit there at dinner and I'll say, 'You're the mayor of this city?' We'll like drive through the city, through the tunnel, and I'll be like, 'You're in charge of all that?' It's crazy."

Ravenstahl's critics say it's not just crazy, it's bad for the city.

"Nobody, anywhere in the country is sitting in a big office going, I was gonna move the factory to Cleveland, but I saw that Opie boy, he's the Mayor of Pittsburgh, so we're going to Pittsburgh," stand-up comic and radio talk show host John McIntire said.

McIntire calls him Mayor Opie.

"I flirted with Doogie, and then I actually had people calling into my radio show and vote on Doogie or Opie, and Opie won," he said.

Ravenstahl said he has a thick skin and the insults come with the job. It also helps that he's a Democrat. This city hasn't had a Republican mayor since 1932, but that doesn't mean Ravenstahl has a lock on the job. He faces a tough primary challenge this May, from the guy who used to be known as Pittsburgh's fresh young face, Bill Peduto, a councilman who's butted heads with colleagues over Pittsburgh's financial troubles.

"Two years ago, I ran for Mayor," Peduto said. "I was considered the fresh young face of city government, and they said I was too young to be elected as Mayor. In two years, I've become the city's elder statesman and now I'm too old."

Peduto says, despite the age difference, he's the true progressive candidate and has been endorsed by environmentalists and high-tech leaders. The race could be close, said Mistick.

"They're both smart. In terms of experience and technical knowledge, Bill Peduto is clearly head and shoulders above Luke Ravenstahl," he said. "Luke's not a policy wonk. He's not very experienced in the ways of government, or the world, at age 27, but he does have this image and the excitement he generates, and that's good for our city."

Even Peduto admits that he's not exciting. He's often compared to former Vice President, Al Gore, but he said "Al Gore has more charisma."

While Ravenstahl's got the old-school political instincts: The meet, the greet, the listen, and the photo-op.

"Smart money right now would give it to Luke," Mistick said.