Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps and Coun. Sharmarke Dubow have decided their futures no longer lie around the municipal council table, but many of their colleagues are still vacillating between another run for office and stepping away from the council chamber.
On Tuesday, Dubow, who was elected in 2018, posted on social media that he would not seek re-election this fall. “It was not an easy decision, given the political realities of the day, and I know this news may come as disappointment to those who have been inspired by or have seen themselves in my journey into elected office,” Dubow said in a lengthy post on Twitter.
Dubow, who fled civil war in Somalia and spent 20 years as a refugee before finding a home in Canada in 2012, did not say why he was stepping away from municipal politics, other than that it was time for him to continue his own education. “I ran for office because I love this community and I wanted to be part of pushing it to be more inclusive at the decision-making table,” he said, noting he will celebrate 10 years of living in Canada this June.
Dubow said he was proud of his work fighting for more affordable housing and protection of renters and the push to establish an office of equity, diversity and inclusion at city hall.
He was the first Black city councillor elected in Victoria in 152 years, and in February, Heritage Canada placed him among a list of noteworthy Black historical figures who helped shape the country.
Dubow ran into controversy, however, with his decision to travel to Somalia during the pandemic, when people were being asked not to travel internationally. In January 2021, he apologized, saying he had shown “poor judgement.”
Helps had said before the 2018 election that she would not seek a third term as mayor of the city, and Coun. Stephen Andrew has announced plans to take a run at the mayor’s chair this fall.
Coun. Marianne Alto said she’s been asked by “a broad band of folks in [the] community” to consider running for mayor, but hasn’t yet made up her mind. “I hope to stay at the council table, but have yet to finally conclude if that means offering for mayor or seeking re-election as a councillor,” Alto said. “I’ll make a statement when the time is right, likely in the next month or so.”
Coun. Ben Isitt is also leaving all doors open for the time being, and says he plans to consult with family, supporters and the general public in the months ahead.
Charlayne Thornton-Joe has not made a decision on her political future, either, and says it will be influenced by “who is likely to be mayor and who is likely to be sitting around the council table.”
“I also have to look at whether I could be re-elected if I chose to re-run,” she said, noting her support dropped in the polls in the last election.
She said there are still negative comments being made about her not living in the city. “I will be weighing out the pros and cons in the next couple of months and will announce my decision then,” she said.
Councillors Geoff Young, Jeremy Loveday and Sarah Potts could not be reached.
