WHEN Surrey Mayor Linda Hepner made the surprise announcement on April 10 that she would not seek re-election in the municipal election in October, The VOICE wrote that “the buzz was that a former B.C. Liberal minister would be quitting provincial politics to run for mayor in Surrey.”
That person was Rich Coleman.
Sources very close to Coleman had requested this writer not to mention his name at the time, but this week they re-confirmed that Coleman would run.
He is reportedly forming his own party.
Meanwhile, there is fierce infighting in Surrey First about who their mayoral candidate should be and some are reportedly seeking the support of the NDP.
The VOICE called Coleman twice on his personal cell phone number on Thursday evening and left him messages asking about his bid for the mayor’s job, but he did not return the calls.
Coleman’s supporters point out that he has been Deputy Premier and has held several cabinet positions (Minister of Energy, Mines and Natural Gas and Minister Responsible for Housing, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General and Minister Responsible for Housing, Minister of Housing and Social Development and Minister of Forests and Range). This is his sixth term as an MLA.
Before entering politics, he was a member of the RCMP and ran a real estate management business.
His supporters say that with that solid background, he is just the type of mayor B.C.’s second largest city needs.