Calgary’s current mayor wants to be its next one, as Jyoti Gondek has announced her intention to run in the 2025 municipal election.

Gondek spoke with local media Friday afternoon, saying that she’ll be running as an independent candidate for mayor in next October’s election. It would be her second term as mayor and third term on councillor, as she served previously as the Ward 3 city councillor.

Gondek joins former city councillor and 2021 mayoral contender Jeff Davison, and Calgary lawyer and former Calgary Police Commission chair Brian Thiessen as the only candidates to declare their intention to run in next year’s race.

“For the last three years, I have considered it my greatest responsibility to be a champion for this city, to stand up for the opportunities that we deserve, to bring well-paying jobs to our city, and to make sure that I’m fighting for our fair share of funding from the federal and provincial governments,” she said.

“I’ve also learned a great deal in this role, like anyone who takes on a new job, I had challenges that I had to overcome, and this took place very publicly. I took the time to listen to how I could do better and how I could improve the way that I need to serve Calgarians, because in the end, no individual is perfect, and I’m certainly no exception to that, but I am willing to bring my best self to work every day and to bring back stability and trust in local government.”

It’s a trust that Gondek said will be one of the most important factors in deciding who will be Calgary’s next mayor. With it, she took aim at the province’s new rules around allowing provincial political parties at the municipal level. Gondek said that independent candidates would be ones best positioned to amplify the voices of Calgarians.

“With the province opening the door to political parties at the local level, political parties are the kiss of death for local representation. Calgarians deserve members of council who will stick up for what is important to Calgarians and not some party,” she said.

“There is no room for party politics when we’re going about the business of fixing potholes or making sure that you have clean and safe drinking water or providing swimming lessons for your kids.”

Balancing governance and campaign

With Calgary’s municipal election not for another 11 months, there are still roughly nine months left to govern. Calgary city council recently passed the 2025 budget, and weighty issues, such as the Green Line, to contend with. Gondek was asked how she’ll navigate the fine line between governing and campaigning.

Gondek said that her primary responsibility is still to be the mayor of Calgary and to make evidence-based decisions that are in the best interests of Calgarians.

“The reality is that I’m the mayor until election day next year, and I will continue to do the work that needs to be done in that role,” she said.

Though Gondek cited several different successes – public safety improvements, affordability, infrastructure investments – the Calgary city council she leads is experiencing its lowest-recorded satisfaction rating since those numbers have been surveyed. According to October’s 2024 fall survey, City council performance was satisfactory to 46 per cent of respondents, 17 per cent lower than a five-year peak of 62 per cent in 2022.

Gondek said that people in Calgary are struggling with many things and that may be reflected in low satisfaction.

“Affordability is a very real consideration for many, many families in our city, and we’re not alone. Every city is facing this,” she said.

“The pressures of inflation have been difficult, and people are just trying to make ends meet, and they are absolutely right in challenging leadership to say, what can you do to make life better for my family?”

In the timing of her announcement, Gondek said that her decision to run again came after talking with family, close friends and community leaders in Calgary. The mayor said there’s been a lot of buzz about whose running in next year’s election and she felt she owed it to Calgarians to let them know her intentions sooner rather than later.

“I felt it was very important to send a clear message to Calgarians that I’m still here, I intend to run again to make sure that I can bring about that stability and trust in local government that’s needed,” she said.

Calgary’s 2025 municipal election is scheduled for October 20.