A former mayor of Winnipeg is looking to get his old job back.
Glen Murray, who served as the city’s 41st mayor from 1998-2004, announced Wednesday he intends to run in October’s municipal election.
“I’ve been blessed with opportunities and experiences within Winnipeg and across the country that have strengthened my knowledge and ability to serve the public,” Murray said in a statement.
“I’ve fostered collaboration throughout my career and I believe Winnipeggers deserve this kind of commitment from their mayor to work with other levels of government, business and the non-profit sector.
“There is still a lot of work to do to get a better deal for our city so we can prosper and succeed.”
Murray, who was the first openly gay mayor of a large North American city, ran for federal office in the Charleswood-St. James riding in 2004, but lost to Steven Fletcher.
After moving to Toronto, he was successful in a 2010 bid to become a member of the Ontario Legislature, representing the Liberal party.
In 2020, Murray finished fourth in the leadership race for the federal Green party.
In the Winnipeg mayoral race, he joins an already-crowded field — one that includes councillor Scott Gillingham, former MP Robert Falcon-Ouellette, and the runner-up in the last mayoral election, Jenny Motkaluk.
Other candidates include one-time provincial Liberal leader Rana Bokhari, businessman Don Woodstock, entrepreneur Shaun Loney, biosystems engineer Idris Ademuyiwa Adelakun, small business owner Rick Shone, community volunteer Chris Clacio, and Desmond Thomas.