In a brief statement delivered from the front steps of London’s City Hall, businessman Paul Cheng threw his hat in the ring for the next mayoral election.
One day before his Friday afternoon press conference, the 60-year-old retired oil and gas consultant told media he’d be making an announcement, but wouldn’t reveal the subject.
“Londoners deserve to be assured and reassured that there will be stability with the leadership of Paul Cheng as mayor,” he said during his brief statement.
“To visitors of London, folks who are contemplating moving to London to start a family, a business, a career — rest assured that Paul Cheng will continue to build our city on the framework of prosperity, stable employment, safety and decent accommodation for all.”
Cheng was a political unknown in 2014 when he sought the mayoralty of London on a largely self-funded campaign — using $126,000 of his own money — only to come in a distant second behind Matt Brown.
Now, Cheng says he wants to take the next year to make himself known to Londoners on an individual and community-wide basis.
Immediately after the press conference, Cheng joined AM980 for an interview to chart out his plan between now and the official campaign period.
Officially, the window to register as a candidate doesn’t open for another year, but Cheng’s website, ChengForMayor.com, is still online from his previous bid. He told AM980 that his platform hasn’t changed, encouraging Londoners to visit the page.
Cheng had also appeared on AM980 in March, saying he was considering a bid but hadn’t yet made up on his mind. He said then that bus rapid transit — specifically the execution of the plan by staff and council — was a big enough issue for him to potentially warrant a return to politics.