Key Takeaways:
- The race for Winnipeg’s next mayor has officially begun, with three candidates announcing their candidacies.
- Royce Koop, a political science professor at the University of Manitoba, predicts a long ballot on Oct. 26 because Bowman isn’t running.
- John Orlikow and Scott Gillingham, both city councillors and businessman Shaun Loney, have declared their candidacy but have yet to register.
The ethnicity to be the next mayor of Winnipeg has officially begun, with three candidates launching their campaigns.
The 1st opportunity for candidates to enroll with the city clerk’s office was on Sunday morning, with Jenny Motkaluk being the first to arrive.
“I believe what Winnipeggers want is an opportunity to tell me or someone like me about what they assume we can do to improve the city and encourage growth and investment,” Motkaluk said.
Motkaluk, a business consultant, ran in the 2018 municipal election and finished second to current Mayor Brian Bowman with 36 percent of the vote.
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“We spent a lot of time talking about policy last time,” she said. “I’m proud of the job we did, but I believe we focused too much on that and not enough on giving Winnipeggers a chance to get to know who I am.”
Because incumbent Mayor Brian Bowman is not seeking reelection, Motkaluk and other candidates face a wide-open field.
When asked about the election, Bowman stated “, “I think we need to build on and improve a few of the positive work that’s occurred at city hall over the last eight years, and also I’m excited by the prospect of hearing from candidates both for mayor and for members of council as to how they proceed to construct Winnipeg for the future as well as to create a city in which we can all be proud to call home.”
Because Bowman isn’t running, Royce Koop, a political science professor at the University of Manitoba, predicts a long ballot on Oct. 26.
Open races, according to Koop, tend to produce more candidates, making name recognition crucial.
“Because voters don’t always have as much information as they would like, name recognition is crucial. So it helps if you’re an incumbent. Still, it also helps if you have some name recognition, such as a counselor, a provincial politician, or even a local celebrity, “Koop elaborated.
Don Woodstock and Chris Clacio, two more Winnipeggers, entered the race on Sunday morning.
Woodstock, a security industry executive, ran for mayor in the previous election.
This time, he’s launching a “clean sweep” campaign against current city council members, accusing them of construction fraud.
“Any city councilor who has backed or took part in the corrupt [executive policy committee] model that we currently have should not be re-elected,” Woodstock said.
Chris Clacio, who ran for mayor last year but didn’t make it to the ballot box, is running again.
“I just wish to see the city be more practical as well as optimistic,” he said, adding that “all of the candidates on social media seemed very unimpressive for many citizens.”
Clacio said he’ll concentrate on public engagement and the city’s growing tech sector.
The list of mayor aspirants will grow as the deadline to sign up approaches in September.
City councilors John Orlikow as well as Scott Gillingham, as well as businessman Shaun Loney have declared their candidacy but have yet to register.
Source: CTV News
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