Four incumbent Winnipeg councillors face no competition, for now

Just over a month before Winnipeg's election ballot is set, fourincumbentcouncillorsface no competition.

As of Friday afternoon,Couns. MattAllard(St. Boniface), JeffBrowaty(NorthKildonan) and BrianMayes(St. Vital) were running for re-election unopposed in their respective wards.Coun. JaniceLukes, the outgoing St. Norbert councillor, was alsorunning unopposed in the newWaverleyWest ward.

If no one registers to run against thesecouncillorsand submits valid nomination papers by Sept. 18, they will be acclaimed as elected officials.

No members of council have been acclaimed in Winnipeg since 2002, when formercouncillorsGarthSteek(River Heights-Fort Garry),GordSteeves(St. Vital) andDan Vandal (St. Boniface) ran unopposed in their respective wards.

Allardsaid Winnipeg voters should not expect another round of acclamations this year.

"I wouldn't count on it,"Allardsaid Friday in an interview, adding he expects someone will register a campaign to compete against him before nominations close next month.

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Allardsaid when he first ran for office in 2014, he was headed for acclamation until opponents materialized shortly before the deadline.

He said it's possible there's less interest in challenging him,Lukes,MayesandBrowatybecause a lot of turnover is already guaranteed for council this year.

No fewer than four sitting members of council will not return this fall.

• JennyGerbasi Winnipeg's longest-serving councillor won't seek6thterm
• Coun.Pagtakhanwill not seek re-election
• Morantzto leave city hall, no matter what happens withCharleswoodTory nomination

RookieCharleswood-TuxedoCoun.MartyMorantz, four-term Point Douglas MikePagtakhanand five-term Fort Rouge-East Fort GarryCoun.JennyGerbasiare not seeking re-election, while St.James-BrooklandsCoun. Scott Gillingham and St. CharlesCoun. Shawn Dobson are going head-to-head in a newly expanded St. James ward.

• St. Charles ward to be wiped off the map next October

As well, the politicalfuture is uncertain for TransconaCoun. Russ Wyatt, who was charged with sexual assault in July.

Wyatt has yet to register a re-election campaign in his ward, where six candidateshoping to replace him have signed up so far.

• WinnipegCoun. Russ Wyatt charged with sexual assault

The most crowded council race so far is Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry, where seven candidates have registered to succeedGerbasi. The latest, city planner Jeff Palmer, signed up to run on Friday.

The incumbents running unopposed, at least so far, say they are working just as hard as if they had competition.

"I'm grinding away," Mayes said in an interview. "Obviously, my odds are better if I don't have an opponent, but it hasn't changed my approach."

"I'm not taking anything for granted," saidBrowaty, adding he is spending time inRiverbendand Rivergrove toensure people living in these neighbourhoods west of the Red River know they've been moved into North Kildonanas a resultt of ward boundary changes.

Lukes said even without competition, she has her work cut out for her to engage withpeople living inthe new Waverley West ward.

"Four years ago, when I ranlast time, there was like nothing in some of these developments and now they'refullof people," she said.

Winnipeggers go to the polls on Oct. 24.

Running for city council with no competition

6 years ago

Duration 1:53

Just over a month before Winnipeg's election ballot is set, four incumbent councillors face no competition.