‘Scrappy’ Calgary mayor Nenshi wins third term
Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi has handily won a third term after a bitter and divisive campaign, during which his at-times prickly personality was a focus.
His main challenger, former Progressive Conservative Party president Bill Smith, conceded at about midnight Tuesday.
With most polls reporting, Nenshi had nearly 51 per cent of the vote — not as strong as his showing in 2013, when he won 73 per cent of the vote.
Nenshi, the first Muslim mayor of a major North American city, gained a national profile with his stewardship of the city through the devastating floods of 2013 and by winning the 2014 World Mayor Prize.
But in this campaign, he was accused of arrogance and being difficult to work with.
“Clearly there is some division and it’s important for us to understand the nature of that division,” Nenshi told reporters. “It’s not nice on a victory night to talk about the campaign, but it was a very divisive campaign and I think that the campaign fostered divisions in the community that may not be long lasting.”
But Nenshi said he doesn’t intend to soften his demeanour.
“I’m not sure whether people will appreciate a completely different version of me,” he said.
“I will still be scrappy. I will still fight for people every day, but I will make sure that people will see that I’m always listening, that I’m always willing to change my mind and that I’m always willing to hear great arguments.”