Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi said he’s not seeking reelection during a Facebook Live event on Tuesday afternoon..And the sources say Nenshi will also support Coun. Jyoti Gondek in the battle for the mayor’s chair that currently seems a race between her and Jeromy Farkas, although it’s unclear if that will be included in the official announcement..Gondek’s campaign is being run by Stephen Carter, the man who ran Nenshi’s first successful campaign as well as campaigns for former Alberta premier Alison Redford..Gondek’s candidacy has already run into one controversy when a former Calgary alderman filed a complaint with Alberta’s Chief Electoral officer alleging they used third-party funds to pay for a city-wide brochure mail-drop..But a spokesman for Gondek denied the allegations outright, saying the $37,740 cost was completely covered by money raised by the campaign..Carter then threatened to sue the Western Standard over the story on social media but so far has not..Nenshi is also facing several lawsuits from Calgary developer Mike Terringo. He sued the mayor for slander seeking $190,000, accusing him of describing him using Italian racial stereotypes..Terringo also sued Nenshi on March 24, claiming he had a pecuniary interest when he lobbied against a development. Terringo has accused the mayor of being in breach of the Municipal government Act in that case..The case is to be dealt with June 1, 2021..Details on that case can be found here.Download.Nenshi was first elected in the 2010 municipal election with 39 per cent of the vote. He became the first Muslim mayor of a large North American city..He was re-elected in 2013 was with 74 per cent of the vote. He was again reelected in 2017, to a third term with 51 per cent of the vote..Nenshi’s reign included regular fights with the Calgary housing community..At one point, builder Cal Wenzel sued him for $6 million after Nenshi alleged he was a “Godfather-type” figure..The two reached an out-of-court settlement in December 2015, with Nenshi agreeing to apologize for and retract several comments he had made, while Wenzel expressed regret for any harm done to Nenshi’s reputation..The mayor’s popularity hit a high in the 2013 floods where he was seen as a calming force with his media briefings..Nenshi did suffer a blow when Calgarians voted down his vision of hosting the 2026 Olympics in a plebiscite..Dave Naylor is the News Editor of the Western Standard.,dnaylor@westernstandardonline.com,.Twitter.com/nobby7694
Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi said he’s not seeking reelection during a Facebook Live event on Tuesday afternoon..And the sources say Nenshi will also support Coun. Jyoti Gondek in the battle for the mayor’s chair that currently seems a race between her and Jeromy Farkas, although it’s unclear if that will be included in the official announcement..Gondek’s campaign is being run by Stephen Carter, the man who ran Nenshi’s first successful campaign as well as campaigns for former Alberta premier Alison Redford..Gondek’s candidacy has already run into one controversy when a former Calgary alderman filed a complaint with Alberta’s Chief Electoral officer alleging they used third-party funds to pay for a city-wide brochure mail-drop..But a spokesman for Gondek denied the allegations outright, saying the $37,740 cost was completely covered by money raised by the campaign..Carter then threatened to sue the Western Standard over the story on social media but so far has not..Nenshi is also facing several lawsuits from Calgary developer Mike Terringo. He sued the mayor for slander seeking $190,000, accusing him of describing him using Italian racial stereotypes..Terringo also sued Nenshi on March 24, claiming he had a pecuniary interest when he lobbied against a development. Terringo has accused the mayor of being in breach of the Municipal government Act in that case..The case is to be dealt with June 1, 2021..Details on that case can be found here.Download.Nenshi was first elected in the 2010 municipal election with 39 per cent of the vote. He became the first Muslim mayor of a large North American city..He was re-elected in 2013 was with 74 per cent of the vote. He was again reelected in 2017, to a third term with 51 per cent of the vote..Nenshi’s reign included regular fights with the Calgary housing community..At one point, builder Cal Wenzel sued him for $6 million after Nenshi alleged he was a “Godfather-type” figure..The two reached an out-of-court settlement in December 2015, with Nenshi agreeing to apologize for and retract several comments he had made, while Wenzel expressed regret for any harm done to Nenshi’s reputation..The mayor’s popularity hit a high in the 2013 floods where he was seen as a calming force with his media briefings..Nenshi did suffer a blow when Calgarians voted down his vision of hosting the 2026 Olympics in a plebiscite..Dave Naylor is the News Editor of the Western Standard.,dnaylor@westernstandardonline.com,.Twitter.com/nobby7694
