Carnegie’s mayor looks to represent next generation

A young man in a maroon sweater sits at a desk in an office, gesturing while speaking. He has glasses and is looking at a laptop in front of him. Behind him, there are shelves filled with books, awards, and photographs. — [Josh Imhof | Features Editor] Carnegie’s newly elected mayor, Sam Bigham, is the youngest in the borough’s history. At the time he was sworn in, he also became the youngest active mayor in Pennsylvania.

Eliyahu Gasson | editor-in-chief

Sam Bigham made waves last year when he won the mayoral race in his hometown of Carnegie, Pennsylvania, at the age of 23.

His youth has been widely discussed across local and national news as an achievement for Gen Z and as an indication that young voters are “fed up with traditional politics-as-usual,” according to an article by The American Prospect about Bigham.

“It’s exciting, you know. I think now is a good time for young people to get involved in politics and office,” Bigham told The Duke. “A lot of changes are happening. There’s a lot of crises that we’re facing when it comes to climate change and other things … young people are not really being represented. It’s important for young people to get involved.”

Despite his aspirations, Bigham said being a politician in his early 20s does come with the possibility of being discounted because of age.

“As a younger person, there’s always gonna be that assumption that I don’t know as much or I haven’t seen enough,” he said. “It is what it is. It comes with the territory. What I try to do is demonstrate my knowledge and try to work well with people to earn their trust and respect.”

Bigham is no stranger to politics. According to his website, he studied history, public administration and economics at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, graduating with two bachelor’s degrees in 2024.

Bigham also served as a junior council person and intern for Carnegie, where he helped to write a climate action plan for the borough.

During his campaign, he was approached by the Carnegie Community Development Corporation (CCDC), a nonprofit offering support to local businesses and organizing community events in the borough, to serve as their executive director, a job he still holds. He’s also interned with State Representative Anita Kulik and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in public policy at Carnegie Mellon University.

His early involvement in politics led Bigham to run when he found out that former Mayor Stacie Riley would not be running for re-election.

A young man speaking in a formal black suit with a light blue shirt, gesturing with his hands while standing in a cafe or restaurant setting. — [Courtesy of Sam Bigham] Bigham speaks at Bob’s Diner, a small business in Carnegie.

“Working in government or public administration or public service is something that I’ve always been interested in. I definitely wanted to do that out of high school, whether that was working in government, working in the public sector or running for office,” he said. “This time it ended up turning out to be running for office. So we’ll see how that goes.”

“At a local level, we can encourage and educate people to do certain things to improve energy efficiency in their homes, to try and improve our sustainability with regards to wildlife and other things,” Bigham said.

“Beyond that, there’s not a whole lot we can do other than prepare. Obviously, we want to prepare our infrastructure and make sure we’re ready for what’s coming.”

Walker Evans, the library director at the Andrew Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall in Carnegie, said Bigham was quick to reach out to them to see how they could work with the CCDC.

“He’s been great about asking how we can be supported and what we need. He’s been very proactive,” Evans said.

Evans said that Bigham’s age is a positive.

A scenic view of a charming street lined with colorful storefronts, featuring a vintage blue clock and decorative blue posts along the sidewalk. — [Josh Imhof | Features Editor] East Main Street in Carnegie features a variety of small businesses, including coffee and sandwich shops, florists, candy stores and a contracting company.

“I think that having fresh perspectives and new ideas is really valuable. I think that a new set of eyes can sometimes see things that others can’t. And I think he’s very motivated, has a lot of youthful energy. That’s a wonderful thing,” he said.

Evans, a resident of Pittsburgh’s Brookline neighborhood, said he’s confident in Bigham’s plans to help tie businesses together and bring more to Main Street, the main business district in Carnegie.

“There’s a strong sense in Carnegie that this is a community where we’re all in it together. I think that he feels that same way and his attempts to draw organizations together, create partnerships and foster those connections, I think will really stand in good stead,” he said.

Dagney Como, the owner of Dagney’s Eatery on Main Street and a resident of Carnegie, thinks it’s too early to tell whether Bigham is good or bad in his roles. So far, she said he’s shown up to local business events like the Carnegie Crawl, a late-night CCDC organized event that showcases local shops in the borough.

“From what I understand and what I see, he’s trying to make Carnegie the best it can possibly be,” she said. “I’ll just give the guy a chance. I have nothing great to say, nothing horrible to say. He’s a nice kid, and his age has nothing to do with it in my opinion.”

Eliyahu Gasson can be reached at gassone@duq.edu