Gian-Carlo Carra not running for re-election after four terms on Calgary city council
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In his Ward 9 newsletter on Friday, Coun. Gian-Carlo Carra confirmed he won't run for re-election in this year's municipal vote, while also endorsing mayoral candidate Brian Thiessen and his Calgary Party.
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'It is with wistfulness, but also clear conviction and fierce pride, that I announce my decision not to seek a fifth term as Ward 9's city councillor this October,' he wrote.
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Carra was first elected in Ward 9, which includes several inner-city neighbourhoods that straddle both sides of Deerfoot Trail, in 2010. He is currently serving his fourth term, representing a diverse range of communities that include Inglewood, Bridgeland and Ogden on the west side of the freeway, and Radisson Heights, Dover and Forest Heights on the east side.
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He also touted his efforts to tackle historic injustices in the city, in areas such as systemic racism and gender equality.
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Carra said championing the $180-million revitalization of International Avenue will be remembered as his favourite achievement as a councillor, while the failed bid for Calgary to host the 2026 Winter Olympics was his biggest disappointment.
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'I entered council representing east Calgary communities that I think have done an oversized job in building the city we live in today but were significantly underinvested in. I think I've significantly reversed that trend,' he said.
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But he lamented the current state of politics and took aim at all three levels of government for descending into 'anger, fear and division.'
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'I was elected in a beautiful moment in time alongside Naheed Nenshi,' Carra said. 'It was an age of politics in full sentences.
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'I think unfortunately, more and more politicians are stepping up to play a game of politics rather than govern.'
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Carra joins a growing list of councillors who have confirmed they won't run this October, including fellow veteran Peter Demong, and first-term colleagues Evan Spencer, Jasmine Mian and Courtney Walcott.
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He said he agreed with Mian who announced, during a council meeting, her decision to step down due to growing political gamesmanship, particularly when it came to the province's interference in the Green Line project.
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