Gordie Hogg enters Surrey mayoral race

Another high-profile candidate has entered the race to become the next mayor of Surrey.

Former South Surrey-White Rock MP Gordie Hogg will run as head of the “Surrey First” slate, which includes current city councillor Linda Annis. Hogg, 75, was also the MLA for Surrey-White Rock and served as mayor of White Rock before that.

Taking aim at McCallum’s time as mayor, Hogg says over the past four years, Surrey residents “witnessed one man’s destructive my-way-or-the-highway approach to governing.”

The more prominent candidates enter the race, the more it will benefit incumbent Mayor Doug McCallum, according to Hamish Telford, a political scientist at the University of the Fraser Valley.

“The more those candidates will divide the opposition vote to McCallum, [and] the easier the path to victory becomes for Doug McCallum,” Telford told CityNews on Monday.

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Hogg says he wants to make city hall “more accessible” by scheduling time at the start of each council meeting for residents to ask questions, and keep city hall open later to accommodate people who work during typical business hours. He also suggests taking council meetings into local neighbourhoods.

He joins Surrey-Newton MP Sukh Dhaliwal, Surrey-Panorama MLA Jinny Sims, and City Councillor Brenda Locke in challenging McCallum for the mayor’s seat.

Voters head to the polls on Saturday, Oct. 15.