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Independent Candidate Challenges Ravenstahl

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Jun 25, 2009 8:24 pm US/Eastern

Independent Candidate Challenges Ravenstahl

Reporting
Jon Delano
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ― Most people don't yet know Kevin Acklin.

He's a Republican-turned-Independent who has already attracted Democratic and Republican political operatives to his campaign.

Today, he attacked Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl's firing of a Stadium Authority member, but that's only one of his objections to the incumbent mayor.

Calling himself a kid from South Oakland, mayoral candidate Kevin Acklin is already knocking on doors every day.

"I was in Polish Hill yesterday. I was on the Northside the day before. We've been in Greenfield. I think we're going to Brighton Heights this afternoon. That's where I get my energy," Acklin said.

And already he has holes in his shoes.

But the 33-year-old Central Catholic graduate, who got scholarships to Harvard and Georgetown Law School, will need a lot more to defeat Ravenstahl.

"I have yet to meet one person… who is excited about this mayor," said Acklin. "I'm being dead honest with you, knocking the doors."
Acklin says Pittsburgh needs a mayor worthy of its people.

"I'm not a politician. I'm a father, a resident who cares so deeply about this city and believes wholeheartedly that this is the best city on the planet and if we only had the kind of government that would rise to the level of our people, then I don't think there is any limit to what we can accomplish," he says.

He accuses the mayor of grand-standing instead of leading, and criticizes his confrontational style with the non-profit community and city council.

"If you want to grandstand and put a proposal out there and you don't care about getting it accomplished -- do what Luke's doing."

Acklin attacks Ravenstahl's firing of authority members who disagree with him like Debbie Lestitian.

"She was somebody who was an independent voice on the Stadium Authority, was raising some very serious questions about a land deal that the mayor was very much in support of, and she lost her job as a result of it."

That would change if he's elected.

"I made this decision to run as an independent because there is not a Democratic or a Republican way to run this city."

"There's a right way, and I wanted to build the kind of campaign that everyone can get involved in. If you want to see a difference in the city, I'm your guy."

Acklin says all appointments to city boards should be confirmed by council after an evaluation from a non-partisan commission, and mayors should fire board members only for "just cause."

As for his candidacy, he says Pittsburgh residents deserve a choice -- especially since Ravenstahl won both the Democratic and Republican nominations.

(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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