Councillor Sadie Hunter will run for the mayor's job in the upcoming municipal election.

Image Credit: SUBMITTED/Stacey Krolow Photography

Sadie Hunter is the fifth candidate to join the race to become the the next mayor of Kamloops.

The sitting councillor announced her intentions in front of Kamloops city hall this morning, June 21, noting she's been considering running for the mayor's seat for the entirety of this term.

"It's time for change and it's time for authenticity," Hunter said.

Nearing the end of her first term at city hall after her election in 2018, Hunter is the first woman to step forward in the mayoral race.

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Others who have already announced they will run for mayor include councillors Arjun Singh and Dieter Dudy, along with local business owners Ray Dhaliwal and Reid Hamer-Jackson.

Asked if she was surprised about being the only woman to run for mayor so far, she said no.

"But I would welcome any other woman who feels compelled to run and step forward."

Councillor Dale Bass is running for reelection for a council seat and joined Hunter for today's announcement.

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"I understand concerns around community safety and believe we all deserve to feel safe," she said. "It might surprise you to know that as a councillor, I experience both bullying and intimidation, and felt at times my voice could not be heard. I was also surprised by this experience. This, in part, led me and inspired me to run for mayor to be the leader that we need right now."

Her announcement did not include details of her platform, but she said she will listen to concerns from the community before it's released.

City hall is expected to look much different after the 2022 election, with three current councillors stepping up to run for mayor. Dale Bass and Mike O'Reilly will run again as councillors, while Kathy Sinclair will be stepping down after her first full term in office.

Election day is Saturday, Oct. 15.

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