Rainer Bloess, longtime Ottawa councillor, won't run again

Longtime Ottawa municipal politician Rainer Bloess was a long way away from InnesWard when he decided he wasnt running again this fall.

Bloess said he made up his mind to not run for re-election in Octobers municipal election while he was kayaking in the Caribbean last week.

"Twenty years is a long time in politics and I think there's a time to step back, take a breather and do different things," he said.

This year is Bloess 21st straight year as a local politician, starting with his election to Gloucester council in 1994 before amalgamation.

He was re-elected to a fourth term as councillor for InnesWard in 2010, winning nearly 70 per cent of the voteafter he lost the area's federal Liberal nomination in 2009.

The ward has more than 40,000 residents and includes the communities of Blackburn Hamlet and Chapel Hill.

Roland Stieda is the only nominated candidate in InnesWard for the Oct. 27 vote so far.

Bloess said he won't be endorsing a candidate to take his place.