Friday marked the official start of Winnipeg’s mayoral race in the lead-up to the October municipal election, and the current mayor is running for re-election.
Mayor Scott Gillingham was first elected to the position in 2022. If elected for another term, he said he wants to keep pushing Winnipeg ahead.
“We have made a lot of progress in this first term. As a council, I think I’ve led decisions that have been held up for years and not been made,” Gillingham told reporters at a news conference in front of City Hall on Friday.
He referred to some notable projects from his first term, including opening Portage and Main to pedestrians, as well as developments in housing and downtown.
“We’re building a city for the future, and that necessitates making bold decisions,” Gillingham said. “It’s about building on the progress we’ve made rather than turning back the clock.”
Details of the current mayor’s platform for re-election, including costs, will be shared later in the campaign, he said.
Registering for the race must be done in person with the city clerk at City Hall during business hours on weekdays, the City of Winnipeg said.
Campaign cash cannot be collected or spent until a person is officially registered, it added.
Candidates must be 18 or older on election day, a Canadian citizen who is a resident of Manitoba, and not disqualified by any of the situations listed in the city’s candidate’s guide.
The deadline for joining the race is Sept. 22.
Residents seeking a less hands-on approach in local politics can have their voice heard via a ballot. The city’s online voter list has search function for eligible voters to ensure they are registered.
Voters will cast their ballots and select their ward councillor, school trustee, and mayor of choice on Oct. 28.
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