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Plenty of intrigue already for Delta election

It’s already shaping up the type of election for Delta city council we haven't seen in a long time. With five months to go, several notable names have already declared for council seats and the mayor’s job for the next four-year term.
election delta

It’s already shaping up the type of election for Delta city council we haven't seen in a long time.

With five months to go, several notable names have already declared for council seats and the mayor’s job for the next four-year term.

As we all know, Lois Jackson won’t be seeking re-election for mayor after serving in that role for almost 20 years, leaving her seat vacated.

Meanwhile, Ian Paton, a member of Jackson’s Independent Voters’ Association (DIVA), won’t be seeking re-election as councillor in order to focus entirely on being Delta South’s MLA.

Heather King told the Optimist recently that she’ll also not be running again because she and her husband will be moving to Vancouver Island.

Several weeks ago, Sylvia Bishop announced she’ll be running for the mayor’s job, which means she’ll have to leave her council seat open. She’ll run a Team Delta ticket that will have four others including fellow council member Robert Campbell, who had been a member of DIVA.

If you’re keeping score, it means there will be at least three vacated council seats up for grabs in addition to the mayor’s chair.

As far as Jeannie Kanakos, her husband Nick, a Delta Board of Education trustee, said it’s “99 per cent certain” they’ll be running again.

Also “probably” running is long-time council member Bruce McDonald.

It’s been confirmed this week that former city CAO George Harvie will also be seeking the mayor’s job on an Achieving Delta ticket with five others on his slate. It’s a ticket that’s not yet been fully revealed but is anticipated to have some big “names” including a surprise or two.

There’s been plenty of speculation floating, meantime, when it comes to a few potential candidates that may end up on the election ballot.

One is former Delta South MLA and city councillor Vicki Huntington. She told the Optimist she’s flattered that people have approached her asking to consider getting back in city politics. She said at this point it’s not likely, however, she does want to be involved in the campaign.

Another name rumoured to be running for council is school board chair Laura Dixon. She said she appreciated people approaching her but she won’t be running for a seat on council. Her interest remains in children, families and education, so she’ll be running for school board once more.

There’s a few other high-profile names in the community that have been the subject of much speculation.

The civic election is set for Saturday, Oct. 20.