Evan Spencer announces he won't seek city council re-election this fall
CBC
After serving one term in city hall, Ward 12 Coun. Evan Spencer has announced he doesn't plan to return for a second.
On Friday night, Spencer posted a statement to social media explaining he will not seek re-election to city council in this fall's municipal election. In the statement, Spencer said he values collaboration in politics, but he's seen a growing trend of politicians being rewarded for grandstanding and attacking opponents.
"I believe in the power of working together to achieve common goals," Spencer said.
"Unfortunately, we are living in a time where politicians are increasingly rewarded for their ability to attack, criticize and grandstand [versus] move forward while respecting and explaining the tensions being balanced by our institutions. I stand by my decisions as your councillor, but willingly admit that trust has eroded during this term."
Spencer also cited personal and family reasons were taken into account in his decision not to run. He was first elected in 2021 to represent Ward 12, which is mainly made up of suburban communities in southeast Calgary.
This year will mark the second consecutive municipal election without an incumbent candidate running in Ward 12. Spencer replaced former councillor Shane Keating, who held the seat for more than a decade from 2010 to 2021. When Keating announced he wouldn't seek re-election, at the time he expressed disappointment with how partisan city council had become.
Prior to his term on council, Spencer worked as Keating's constituent assistant. He also previously worked as a pastor, as a consultant for Nextdoor Canada, and sat on the board for the community advocacy group LRT on the Green Foundation, which was dedicated to getting Calgary's Green Line built.
Alberta's next municipal elections are scheduled to be held later this year on Oct. 20.
Ward 3 Coun. Jasmine Mian praised Spencer's contributions to council after his announcement on Friday.
"People always say they want thoughtful, hardworking and collaborative elected officials in these jobs and that's Coun. Evan Spencer," Mian said in a social media post on Friday. "I'm sad we couldn't keep him."
Alberta's municipal elections this fall will be the first since the province passed legislation that paved the way for local political parties as a pilot project in Calgary and Edmonton.
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