After three consecutive terms controlling Vancouver’s mayor’s office, Vision Vancouver won’t have a fourth.
The party, which has controlled Vancouver city council for nearly a decade, confirmed Friday that it would not be running a mayoral candidate in the Oct. 20 municipal election.
In a statement, Vision Vancouver spokesperson Ange Valentini said the party came to the “difficult decision” after “considering all the options, and listening carefully to party members and progressive voters.”
Valenti said the party is now in the process of deciding whether to formally endorse one of the other independent candidates seeking the city’s top job.
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She cited former Vision Vancouver board member Shauna Sylvester and former NDP MP Kennedy Stewart as “excellent candidates,” and said fielding a new Vision candidate now could split the city’s left-leaning vote.
The move comes after Monday’s bombshell announcement by Vision’s initial mayoral nominee, Squamish Nation hereditary Chief Ian Campbell, that he would withdraw from the race.
Campbell cited the “political landscape” and his “complicated personal journey” for his abrupt withdrawal.
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Prior to Friday’s deadline to register to run in Vancouver’s municipal race, veteran Vision Vancouver Coun. Andrea Reimer publicly mulled a run at the office.
On Friday, Reimer splashed cold water on that idea, publishing a statement to Facebook reaffirming her plans to leave civic politics.
“I’ve always put the community’s interest first but I know in my heart that I can’t keep doing the work I’ve been doing without some time to recharge, so I won’t be running in this election,” Reimer wrote.
Vision will run five candidates for city council, three for school board and two for park board.
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