From an Olympic podium to a council seat – this is bronze-medalist Evan Dunfee’s next goal.
After flirting with the idea this summer of running for Richmond city council in next year’s municipal election, Dunfee has decided to throw his hat in the ring.
While he tends to be “left-leaning” and “progressive,” Dunfee said he is considering running as an independent.
“As an independent, I have a better ability to amplify the voices of those who I agree with and want to work with,” Dunfee said.
Although, he added, he doesn’t think Richmond’s political parties – like RITE, Richmond Citizens’ Association and Richmond First – are very “engrained in ideology.”
“There’s a bigger tent in each of our Richmond parties, I think,” he said.
Dunfee won a bronze medal in race walking at this past summer’s Olympics in Tokyo – and he also has two large competitions he wants to take part in before election period kicks in: the World Championships in Eugene, Ore., in July, and the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, U.K., in August.
The municipal election will be held on Oct. 15, 2022 to elect a mayor and eight city councillors. Seven trustees for the board of education will be elected on the same day.
Current Mayor Malcolm Brodie has said he is planning to seek re-election.
Furthermore, most current councillors except Harold Steves have indicated they plan to run for re-election – Couns. Linda McPhail and Bill McNulty both said they were still weighing whether or not to run.
Richmond city council will consider at Monday’s meeting whether to have widespread mail-in voting, something that is now allowed by the province.
The proposed budget for the election – for council and school board - is $900,000 including $120,000 for mail-in voting.
