Coun. Diane Deans has completed her candidacy to be the next mayor of Ottawa and will not run for council in the Gloucester-Southgate neighborhood either.
In a statement Thursday, the longtime councilor said she was sidelining her candidacy for “personal and professional reasons”, including feeling that she could not commit to being a mayor more than a mandate.
“After careful consideration, I have concluded that the next mayor will have to commit for eight years (two terms) to get the job done,” Deans wrote.
“Four years will not be enough to lead this city on a better path.”
There are currently seven candidates who have submitted documents to replace Jim Watson as the next mayor of Ottawa, including Somerset Coun. Catherine McKenney and former Mayor Bob Chiarelli.
Two others have submitted their names to represent the Gloucester-Southgate neighborhood.
28 years as a councilor
Deans has spent nearly three decades around the board table, having been first elected in 1994.
She has held various high-profile positions at the time, including recently as chair of the Ottawa Police Services Board, a position from which she was expelled in a controversial and vitriolic restructuring of the board that occurred during the Freedom Convoy protests this winter.
In his statement, Deans said divisions in the city council have “exacerbated” problems such as rising municipal debt, the shortage of affordable housing and a “problem-ridden” traffic system.
With mixed emotions, today I announced that I will not be running for mayor in the next municipal elections. Thanks to everyone who encouraged me. I am grateful for your unwavering support. pic.twitter.com/OVaBEPZ9fM
– @dianedeans
“Ottawa residents need their board to meet and put the needs of the community first,” he wrote. “The next mayor has to bridge the gap between all of Ottawa’s unique communities (rural, suburban and urban) and find a balance that can end the divisions we see today.”
Deans also battled ovarian cancer in 2019, returning to the board table a year later. That experience prompted her to run for mayor, Deans said when she announced her candidacy last December.
Ottawa residents go to the polls to choose their next town hall on Oct. 24.