Former Liberal leader enters Winnipeg mayoral race

The race for the city’s top job continues to grow as a former provincial party leader has thrown her hat into the ring.

Rana Bokhari, who led the Manitoba Liberals from 2013-2016, officially registered for the Winnipeg mayoral race on Friday, becoming the ninth candidate to do so.

She says plenty has changed since that stint with the Liberals and she’s excited to show it to Winnipeggers.

“I feel good that I’m running as an independent, that I don’t have any party affiliation and that helps me a lot because I get to be my true authentic self and show Winnipeggers exactly who I am and I felt that was something I was holding heavy in my heart during that time.”

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Bokhari says talking with Winnipeggers and hearing their challenges during the last two years of the pandemic got her motivated to get into politics again.

“They really enlightened my spirit again to want to be a part of the solution,” Bokhari said. “I believe we need a strong vision to focus on the future and I have a commitment to see this through.”

And she’s excited to get started.

“My weeks ahead will be door-knocking, my weeks ahead are meeting with people from Transcona to Fort Garry to Charleswood to Downtown Centre,” Bokhari said.

“I want to see people one-on-one and hear from them and listen to what they are saying because that is my true authentic way of really putting forward policies that reflect the truth of the city.”

Bokhari joins Scott Gillingham, Jenny Motkaluk, Robert-Falcon Ouellette, Shaun Loney, Don Woodstock, Idris Ademuyiwa Adelakun, Chris Clacio and Rick Shone as registered mayoral candidates.