Longtime city councillor Andrew Knack enters Edmonton mayor race

Another longtime city councillor has thrown his hat in the ring to become Edmonton’s next mayor.

Andrew Knack, councillor for Ward Nakota Isga in west Edmonton, announced Thursday his intention of running for the city’s top job — months after saying he was done with city hall.

The three-term councillor is vying to replace current mayor Amarjeet Sohi, who is not seeking re-election in the fall municipal vote.

Knack outlined his reasons for running at a press conference Thursday.

“Over the last four years, we’ve seen 200,000 people move into the city of Edmonton, and that growth creates some opportunities, but it also creates some challenges. We have Edmontonians who are struggling with affordability, we have Edmontonians who don’t feel as safe as they once did.”

His official campaign launch for mayor is scheduled for June 14.

Knack, Edmonton’s current longest-serving city councillor, announced in September he would not be seeking re-election at the end of his current term, but did not indicate what was next for him.

At the time he called the decision not to run again “one of the toughest” he’s ever made, describing working on city council as “my dream job.”

But Knack says he changed his mind about running once Sohi decided not to run for re-election.

Knack joins fellow city councillor Tim Cartmell in the mayoral race; Cartmell announced he was running in November under the “Better Edmonton” banner.

Party-affiliated candidates are able to fundraise and spend more dollars — newly allowed under the Alberta government’s Bill 20.

Knack says he’s confident Edmontonians will reject party politics at city hall come voting day.

“This is something over the last year, when I’m going out to community events across the city, people are saying, ‘why are they bringing in political parties?’” said Knack. “‘Nobody asking for this.’ So we need to show this can be done without political parties and in fact better without political parties.”

Another candidate in the running is pediatric dentist Omar Mohammad, who uses social media to try and stand out as a political outsider.

“The city spends way too much on infrastructure. You know environment, all these things are important, but we don’t spend enough on people,” Mohammad said. “I’m a people first, service first candidate. I’m a problem solver. And I’ve put my career on the line to do this.”

Despite others being in the running, political watchers say the mayoral race so far comes down to Knack and Cartmell.

“Both candidates are formidable candidates, they’re both veteran councillors,” said political analyst John Brennan. “But you know one is running as a progressive candidate, and the other is more of a small ‘c’ conservative. So Edmontonians are going to have a choice.”

Born in Edmonton and raised in Spruce Grove, Knack has represented Ward Nakota Isga since 2013 — after two consecutive failed bids to run for city council.

He followed those losses with three convincing victories; he secured 66 per cent of the vote in his latest win in 2021.

Edmontonians head to the polls Oct. 20.

–With files from Darcy Ropchan