Cites health reasons: Former Liberal MP Kent Hehr abandons Calgary mayoral race

CALGARY – Former Liberal MP Kent Hehr has retired from the race to become mayor of Calgary.

Hehr, who filed his nomination papers earlier this month, said he was stepping down for health reasons.

“I started to feel bad on Sunday morning. I took a COVID test and haven’t received the results yet, but immediately suspended all campaign activity, ”Hehr said in a statement Tuesday.

“What further complicates matters is that people with spinal cord injuries are at a higher risk of complications from COVID. Although I am double vaccinated, given the number of people with the Delta variant in Alberta and the intensive care units operating at or near full capacity, the risks to my health are compounded. ”

Hehr became quadriplegic when he was hit by a passerby in a car shootout.

He served two terms as a Liberal Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, before successfully running for the federal Liberals in the riding of Calgary Center in 2015. He was defeated in 2019.

Hehr competed in the Calgary mayoral race in 2010, but stepped down to support Naheed Nenshi, who won and served three terms. Nenshi is not running in the municipal elections on October 18.

Twenty-eight candidates remain in the running.

In 2018, Hehr left Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s office following allegations that Hehr made sexually inappropriate comments to one woman and touched another inappropriately.

He said at the time that he had no recollection of the events. An investigation found all sexual contact to be incidental.

Alberta recorded an average of about 1,500 new cases per day on weekends, registering 4,633 cases between Friday and Sunday. The province had 954 people with COVID-19 in hospital, including 216 in intensive care.

The province recorded 22 deaths over the three days.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on September 21, 2021.

The Canadian Press