Couns. Sharma, Chambers will return to Winnipeg city hall as nominations close with no opponents
CBC
Two incumbent city councillors in Winnipeg are enjoying an early election victory — because nobody ran against them.
St. Norbert-Seine River Coun. Markus Chambers and Old Kildonan Coun. Devi Sharma will both be acclaimed as victors in their respective seats.
They'll head back to council later this fall because no one filled out the paperwork to run against them by Tuesday's 4:30 p.m. deadline.
Technically, Sharma and Chambers won't be acclaimed until 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, which is the deadline for candidates to withdraw.
The acclamations mean Winnipeg voters will only elect 13 out of 15 councillors on Oct. 26, when they also select a mayor to succeed Brian Bowman, who is not seeking a third term.
"I fully expect, and I think the public fully expects, other competitors to come forward. That is our democratic process. That is democracy in action, so from that perspective, it is disappointing," said Sharma, who was first elected to council in 2010 and is now heading into her fourth term.
"At the same time, I work hard. It is a challenging role."
The acclamation gives Chambers a second term in office.
"It's not a matter of getting off easy," he said, vowing not to be complacent in spite of his acclamation.
"I think the work I've done over the last four years as well as the vision I have for the next four years are being rewarded."
Chambers and Sharma join only three other councillors who were acclaimed in the past 20 years.
Former St. Boniface councillor Dan Vandal, now a Liberal MP, and former St. Vital councillor Gord Steeves were acclaimed in 2002. Waverley West Coun. Janice Lukes was acclaimed in 2018.
At the nomination deadline, a total of 42 candidates are running for office in the 13 other wards. Only five of the candidates with competition are women.
The nomination deadline also whittled down the number of people running for mayor. Four out of 15 candidates who registered to run for mayor did not complete the nomination process.
