Longtime NDP MLA Leonard Krog is expected to announce Wednesday that he will run for mayor of Nanaimo this fall.
If Krog runs and is successful, the question will be how that might affect the razor-thin balance of power in B.C.’s legislature.
Krog is anticipated to state his intentions at a 5 p.m. event at the Coast Bastion Inn in Nanaimo on Wednesday. He could not be reached Sunday.
Nanaimo residents are keenly watching to see who will run in the Oct. 20 municipal election. It is well-known that citizens have been talking to Krog about running for mayor.
Nanaimo city hall has seen political factions square off against each other, turmoil among city staff, two special prosecutors appointed, and the departure of senior employees.
Former Nanaimo councillor Fred Pattje said Sunday: “I’ve gotten along with Leonard for a long time, [have] respect for what he is doing, and what he has done as an MLA and a citizen for Nanaimo. He knows this town inside out of course.”
Pattje, an NDP supporter, said that if Krog runs, “With his background, I would imagine that he would have a very good shot.”
Nanaimo citizens want to regain their trust in city hall, he said.
Krog has “qualities and qualifications that I think would place him eminently in a good position to do that — to work on the trust issue,” Pattje said.
Born in Nanaimo and raised in Coombs, Krog, a lawyer, was elected in 1991 as MLA for the Parksville-Qualicum riding, and defeated in 1996.
He was elected as MLA for Nanaimo in the 2005, 2009, 2013 and 2017 elections. Krog won handily in the most recent election, where Nanaimo is considered a strong NDP seat.
Krog ran for the B.C. NDP party leadership in 2003, losing to Carole James. He served as opposition critic to the Attorney General prior to the latest provincial election. David Eby was appointed Attorney General and Krog serves as the B.C. government caucus chairman.
In today’s legislature, the Liberals have 42 seats, the NDP have 41, and the Green Party has three.
Ron Cantelon, who has represented the Liberal party as MLA for Nanaimo and Parksville-Qualicum, said he would not be surprised to see Krog run.
“I know he is up against a good candidate in Don Hubbard, who has quite a bit of experience in the Health Authority. It will be a good race and Nanaimo is going to better for whoever comes out on top.”
Hubbard, who served as chairman of the board for Island Health for seven years, announced last month that he is running for mayor. Retired RCMP officer Norm Smith has also said he is trying for the job.
Nanaimo Mayor Bill McKay said in an email Sunday that until Krog makes an announcement, he can not speculate. McKay has not said if he plans to run again.
Michael Prince, Lansdowne professor of social policy at the University of Victoria , said that Nanaimo “has been a pretty solid NDP territory for several decades.”
He is watching to see at what point Krog would step away from his seat in the legislature and when a byelection would be called, saying the province would have six months to do that.
He wonders what the Green Party might do in that riding.
“The Greens polled 19 per cent there last time, which is their historic best ... They are a significant third-place player there.”
Prince is curious about who might run in Krog’s seat, pointing to the Cowichan Valley riding where the Green Party trumped the NDP. The NDP’s gender equity policy would not allow the riding’s male local party president to run. Party rules also state that candidates replacing retiring male MLAs must be either female or a member of an equity seeking group.
“That adds another interesting wrinkle to this,” Prince said.
Nanaimo Coun. Dianne Brennan, an NDP supporter, said citizens have been urging Krog to run for mayor. “That has come from across the political spectrum.”
Brennan has been friends with Krog since the 1980s and says he is seen as “sort of an across-the-board advocate for this city.” Krog has supported and been involved in many community organizations and causes, she added.
When it comes to the numbers of seats in the legislature, incumbent parties do not always do well in byelections.
But Brennan does not think that would apply in Nanaimo. “This is not a typical riding in B.C. It has really deep NDP roots. It’s very much still a working class town.”
As for who might run for the NDP in a by-election, she said, “I don’t know. There are lots of possibilities.”
Kim Smythe, said he is not endorsing candidates because of his position as chief executive officer of the Greater Nanaimo Chamber of Commerce.
He did say of Krog, “I think his profile and familiarity with Nanaimo voters for many years, serving the community as an elected representative, would probably stand him in good stead with a large number of the community.
“That said, we’ve still got four months between now and then and we certainly haven’t reached any deadline in terms of people stating their intentions to run.”
