Kamloops councillor fourth to enter mayor’s race

Kamloops city councillor Deiter Dudy believes he's the right person for the mayor's job. He'll be running against four others so far in this fall's municipal election.

With few details to offer about his forthcoming agenda, Dudy gathered supporters and reporters to Riverside Park this morning, April 4, to announce he will be running to be the next mayor of Kamloops.

Dudy is the fourth person to put his name on the ballot for the next mayor and the second sitting councillor. Coun. Arjun Singh also announced his intentions to run, along with former councillor and business owner, Ray Dhaliwal, and another business owner, Reid Hamer-Jackson. Mayor Ken Christian announced in February he would not seek re-election, leaving the job open this November.

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"I feel that I've got a calming effect on people," Dudy said. "I think that I can lead them down that road to prosperity again and also show them all the opportunities that exist for the city."

Dudy intended on running for mayor again since he first won a seat on council in 2014. In 2011, his first bid for mayor, Dudy came in a close second to now-MLA Peter Milobar.

Although he gave little insight into his platform for the 2022 municipal election, Dudy expects homelessness, the opioid crisis and business recovery to be important issues for voters this year.

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He said he fully supports the proposed multi-million dollar performing arts centre, for which a referendum was postponed due to COVID-19 two years ago.

"It'll be a reality on my watch," he said.

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