Orlikow first among city councillors to announce mayoral bid

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This article was published 04/02/2022 (1685 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Longtime city councillor John Orlikow has decided to take a run at the mayor’s chair in the fall and could be joined on the campaign trail by some of his colleagues.

The River Heights-Fort Garry councillor, who was elected in a 2009 byelection and currently serves as deputy mayor, confirmed Friday he intends to be a candidate in the wide-open race to the Oct. 26 municipal election.

Mayor Brian Bowman indicated in 2020 that he won’t be seeking a third term.

“I’m really excited about the opportunity,” Orlikow told the Free Press. “My vision for Winnipeg is to make it one of the greenest cities in North America, make it one of the most equitable cities in North America and create a lot of jobs.”

Orlikow said he expects to be among a large number of candidates applying for the city’s top job.

The councillor believes his “collaborative” approach will help him create a more “nimble” municipal response to address climate change and meet the needs of vulnerable Winnipeggers, including those who are unsheltered.

“Too many people are homeless, too many people are struggling,” he said.

Social enterprise leader Shaun Loney and past mayoral candidate Don Woodstock have also confirmed their intentions to run.

Winnipeggers should expect some familiar faces at city hall to join Orlikow at the starting line when the official registration period opens May 1.

Coun. Scott Gillingham, who leads council’s finance committee, sounds as though he’s already made a decision.

“It’s probable Winnipeggers will see me as a candidate for mayor, it’s very likely,” said Gillingham (St. James). “After almost two terms on council now, I’ve seen a number of opportunities to make city hall work better for Winnipeggers.”

Before being elected to council in 2014, Gillingham spent 22 years as a pastor, and believes both roles have provided him with valuable experience serving the community.

As finance chairman, he credits the switch to a multi-year budget process with helping the city cope with the ongoing financial blows created by COVID-19.

Coun. Markus Chambers, chairman of the Winnipeg Police Board, said he’s also leaning towards a mayoral bid but is currently focused on the city’s pandemic recovery.

“There’s so much at stake here, in terms of how we plan to recover economically,” said Chambers (St. Norbert-Seine River).

In an email, Coun. Kevin Klein said he is preparing for a mayoral campaign but hasn’t made a final decision.

“I am overwhelmed by the encouragement I am receiving from residents and community leaders from across the city and province,” Klein (Charleswood-Tuxedo-Westwood) said in an emailed statement.

“I have formed an exploratory committee to determine if this is the appropriate way forward for me and my family and will best service the city.”

Jenny Motkaluk, who finished second to Bowman in the 2018 election, said she’s thinking about taking another shot.

“I am still seriously considering it and I believe that Winnipeg is looking for some positive, fresh leadership,” said Motkaluk, a business development consultant.

On Friday, councillors Jeff Browaty, Janice Lukes, Matt Allard, Cindy Gilroy, Ross Eadie, Brian Mayes, Devi Sharma, Shawn Nason and Jason Schreyer all said they won’t be candidates for the mayoralty.

Coun. Sherri Rollins didn’t want to entertain the question Friday.

“This is not campaign time, this is work time,” said Rollins (Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry).

Coun. Vivian Santos could not be reached for comment.

Joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga