Meet Sam Bigham, Heinz College Student and Carnegie's Youngest Mayor

As Sam Bigham sought an empty table at the Carnegie Coffee Company on a blustery January morning, a customer immediately recognized him as the newly inaugurated mayor of Carnegie, Pennsylvania. Bigham stopped to chat with the man, who was sitting with two of the mayor’s acquaintances from high school.

“You’re 23?” the customer asked Bigham.

“Twenty-four, now,” Bigham replied.

“Oh, you’re an old man now!” the man said, laughing. 

Later that day, while Bigham walked Carnegie’s Main Street, a young man stopped his car at an intersection and rolled down his window. “Is that the mayor? How’s it going?” the driver shouted gleefully at Bigham, who greeted him in return. 

Bigham’s status as the youngest mayor in Carnegie history is one that draws attention. A longtime resident with deep familial roots in the area, his term began in January. As mayor, Bigham aims to raise the profile of the borough of roughly 8,000 residents, draw people, businesses and investments to the area and create events that support the local economy.

And, he wants to do it all while earning a master’s degree in public policy and management at the Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy. 

“Carnegie is a great community, and I want more people to know about what we have here,” Bigham said. “I really want people to consider Carnegie Main Street as a place they want to visit in the same way they might consider other small downtowns.”

Before running for mayor, Bigham had served on the Allegheny County Democratic Committee, worked as a field organizer for former Vice President Kamala Harris and interned for state Rep. Anita Kulik, who represents Carnegie. He has served as the executive director of the Carnegie Community Development Corporation since last January, planning events and supporting business initiatives on the borough’s Main Street.  

Bigham recognizes that some residents may feel skeptical about a twenty-something's qualifications for elected office. However, he believes his experience and involvement in Carnegie have set him up for success, and that his age could be a refreshing change for the community.

“When I was campaigning door to door, the overwhelming response I got was that people were excited about a young person running,” Bigham said. “People have an overwhelming sense that elected officials are too old and don't represent their constituents well enough.”

The road to the mayor’s office

When he was in high school, considering the career he might like to pursue in the future, Bigham felt drawn to the public sector. “You're working in communities, trying to uplift communities and help people in a way that I think is more meaningful to me,” he said. 

As he became more involved in state and local government, Bigham built relationships with former Carnegie Mayor Stacie Riley, state Rep. Kulik and members of the Borough of Carnegie Council, among other officials. Those connections proved crucial in his bid for mayor, he said. He earned endorsements from Riley, Kulik, borough council President Phil Boyd and others.

Bigham’s campaign for mayor was a grassroots effort. A former classmate from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where Bigham earned his undergraduate degree, put together Bigham’s campaign strategy. Bigham’s brother works in accounting, so he became the campaign’s treasurer. A local wedding videographer created campaign videos that were shared on social media. 

Bigham and his volunteers knocked on hundreds of doors, made phone calls to residents and sent postcards. Their pitch? Bigham has focused on community development and investment through the Carnegie Community Development Corporation, and he would continue that work as mayor. On top of that, he would offer a fresh perspective as the borough’s youngest mayor. 

The residents the campaign connected with largely said they wanted Carnegie and Main Street to become more vibrant, Bigham said. Overall, he felt community members were receptive to hearing his pitch for mayor, noting that one-on-one conversations helped dispel misconceptions or concerns about the Gen Z resident’s candidacy. 

“We took the campaign very seriously,” Bigham said. “We ran a very effective campaign. It was the grassroots work we did that really, I think, earned people's trust.”

He won the Democratic primary last May, collecting more than 75% of the vote, and won the Republican primary with 56 write-ins out of 118 cast. With both tickets, Bigham ran unopposed in November.

Learning along the way

In Carnegie, being the mayor is a part-time job. Bigham is mostly responsible for managing emergency services and the police department and casting a tie-breaking vote on the borough council. With the extra hours he has left in the day, Bigham will continue to head the Carnegie Community Development Corporation and work for the nonprofit Reimagine Appalachia.

And, of course, go to grad school. 

Bigham decided to pursue a master’s degree partly to build upon the public policy foundation he gained at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where he majored in political science and history. The Heinz College curriculum allows students to “exercise the muscles used in public administration,” Bigham said, highlighting the usefulness of courses on statistical reasoning, database management and Geographic Information Systems. 

This semester, Bigham attends classes all day on Tuesdays and Thursday. When he’s not in class, he’s in the Carnegie community. He appreciates the flexibility of his schedule and, so far, has found balancing school and work manageable. The staff at Heinz College want students to succeed, no matter their background or personal circumstances, he said. 

“One of the reasons I chose Heinz College was because the curriculum focuses on the quantitative side of public administration like statistical reasoning and management science,” Bigham said.

Associate Dean Jackie Speedy said the Heinz College curriculum equips students to lead and make a difference in communities by teaching them to analyze data, understand public policy and effectively manage organizations.

"Our curriculum emphasizes applied learning, evidence-based decision-making and public impact. Sam’s work as mayor demonstrates how powerful that combination can be for communities,” Speedy said. 

Erin Kucic, academic program manager at Heinz College, said that “Sam arrived with a strong foundation in community development and a clear dedication to Carnegie, and he’s using the MSPPM curriculum to build on that momentum.” 

“His commitment to his hometown shines through, and we’re proud to support him as he continues to grow as both a student and community leader,” Kucic said.

Connecting with local businesses

To Bigham, his success as mayor is determined by the number of people who frequent Main Street businesses, attend borough events and move to the area, as well as by the number of new businesses that crop up. 

On that frigid January day, Bigham walked Main Street and popped into a few local businesses. He chatted with Eva Trout of Firebox Art Studios, a gallery that hosts the work of more than 20 local and national artists. 

“We will have to talk about the Arts Walk at some point,” Bigham told Trout. “I want it to be bigger.”

Over his lifetime, Bigham has seen Carnegie change for the better. The borough, a former mill town, has not been without its challenges. A devastating flood in 2004 wrecked Main Street and forced the area to rebuild, and the community is still recovering from the collapse of the steel industry in the 1980s. 

“We've been coming back from the steel industry’s collapse in the same way that other small towns in the city of Pittsburgh have been,” Bigham said. “This is a resilient town with resilient people who all believe in Carnegie. We want it to succeed.”

As mayor, Bigham wants to contribute to that success.