Mayor Jyoti Gondek has announced she will run for re-election in the 2025 municipal election, quelling speculation of whether she would or would not. In a statement, Gindek said, "I’m prepared to tackle the important work that needs to be done, including improving communication between city hall and Calgarians, supporting those who need it most," she wrote, adding she has been “a steadfast champion” for the city. After serving as a citizen member of the city’s planning commission, Gondek ran for Ward 3 councillor in 2017, winning the seat and serving until 2021. On October 18, 2021 she was elected 37th mayor of Calgary and the first woman to win the post. Her time as mayor has not been without controversy. In December 2023, Gondek announced she would not attend the city's annual Hanukkah menorah lighting ceremony, after initially accepting the invitation, saying the celebration had been politicized by the Israel-Hamas war. In January 2024, Calgary businessman, Landon Jones, filed a motion of recall against Gondek, citing his frustration with the city's spending and tax increases. The recall petition failed after 69,344 signatures of people in favour failed to meet the required 514,284 in-person signatures. The rest of the road through 2024 has been bumpy for Gondek, who voted in favour of the single-use bylaw, which was eventually repealed and in favour of the blanket zoning bylaw in the spring, despite 75% of Calgarians who participated in a public hearing saying they were not in favour. The blanket zoning bylaw is facing a legal challenge in court on December 11. Sitting Calgary mayors have seen great success when seeking a second term, with incumbents not losing since 1980. Still, Gondek is facing an uphill battle in the polls. A Maru Public opinion poll from September showed her approval rating at 18% of Calgarians in favour of her running again, while 69% said she shouldn’t. Two other candidates for the mayor’s chair have announced, including former counciilor and candidate for mayor, Jeff Davison and Calgary lawyer Brian Thiessen.
