Coun. Kevin Klein (Charleswood-Tuxedo-Westwood) says he intends to enter the race as its 13th candidate.
Klein’s entry in the race follows a Probe Research survey released Thursday that suggested one-third of Winnipeggers polled would consider voting for the councillor should he decide to run for the city’s top job.
That same survey puts Glen Murray — a former mayor of Winnipeg entering local politics again after almost two decades away — as the frontrunner by a huge margin, enjoying the support of 44 per cent of decided voters polled.
“People started notifying me yesterday as soon as it came out, and to be honest it was very humbling. I was very grateful,” Klein told 680 CJOB’s Connecting Winnipeg.
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“I really try to dedicate myself to working for Winnipeggers — what’s best for the residents of Winnipeg, and when I saw that, it kind of confirmed what I’m hearing from residents: they want change and they’re looking for someone who is going to bring change.”
Klein said he made the decision to run prior to the release of the survey.
He joins a crowded field, facing off against not only Murray, but also his current council colleague Scott Gillingham, who is polling at 16 per cent support. The poll also showed Gillingham as the top choice of Winnipeggers who vote Progressive Conservative provincially.
The list of candidates also includes former MP Robert-Falcon Ouellette, as well as Jenny Motkaluk — the runner-up in Winnipeg’s last civic election — and former provincial Liberal leader Rana Bokhari.
Shaun Loney, Don Woodstock, Rick Shone, Idris Ademuyiwa Adelakun, Desmond Thomas, Jessica Peebles and Chris Clacio will also be on the ballot in October.
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