Ex-police commission chair enters race to be next Calgary mayor

Brian Thiessen, a lawyer and former chair of the Calgary Police Commission, is tossing his hat into the race to be Calgary's next mayor.

He is launching his campaign Thursday.

Thiessen says he wants city council to deliver on basic services that Calgarians rely on, such as fixing potholes and maintaining critical infrastructure, like the water system.

He says if he's elected mayor, he'll focus on improving downtown safety and getting more housing built.

"City hall right now is dysfunctional. It's a bunch of individuals looking out for their own priorities, and as a result, we're not getting co-operation between councillors, we're not getting co-operation between council and the province and we are not getting the leadership we need with Calgarians," Thiessen told CBC News.

A former Alberta Party president, Thiessen chairs the group Calgary Act Now, which is preparing to field a progressive-leaning slate, or party, of municipal candidates next year, under new legislation that Premier Danielle Smith's government has enacted.

Thiessen says he isn't a fan of having political parties at the local level, but he believes one advantage of parties is that by assembling a team of candidates, he'll give Calgarians a clear choice.

"Those will be council's priorities, that we will vote on those issues, to move forward on downtown safety, to move forward on housing. Voters will have the opportunity to look at a team and say, 'hey, if we elect a majority of councillors and a mayor from this group, we will get these things done,'" he said.

Former city councillor and 2021 mayoral candidate Jeff Davisonhas also announced he is running for mayor. The current mayor, Jyoti Gondek, has not yet signalled if she intends to seek re-election.

Calgarians go to the polls to elect a new city council in October 2025.