In what was perhaps the worst-kept secret in Edmonton over the past few days, the city’s mayor is attempting a return to federal politics because he said Canada needs experienced leaders to push back against U.S. President Donald Trump.
On the same day that Mark Carney triggered a federal election, Amarjeet Sohi was announced as the Liberal candidate for Edmonton Southeast.
“This is the most consequential election of our lifetime — we must fight to defend our sovereignty, economy, and workers, ” Sohi said in a statement Sunday afternoon.
“Our country is facing unprecedented times. President Trump is attacking our sovereignty, jobs, economy and our way of life.”
Sohi said he has had the immense privilege of serving Edmontonians as a city councillor, member of Parliament, cabinet minister and mayor, and wants to use that experience to continue to serve Canadians.
“Given the threat of this disruption, it is imperative that strong and experienced leaders step up to defend our workers, working families, local businesses and our community.”
The Conservative Party of Canada and New Democratic Party of Canada have not yet announced their candidates for the riding.
Sohi immigrated to Edmonton from India with his family in 1981 and attended Bonnie Doon High School.
He has significant first-hand experience fighting back against injustice. In 1988, as a young social activist doing volunteer development work in India, he was arrested while organizing a protest by authorities in the state of Bihar and accused of being a terrorist without evidence.
He was beaten, tortured, held without charges or a trial for almost two years. Most of that time — 18 out of 21 months —was spent in solitary confinement.
A change in local government finally led to his release and he came back to Canada, where he got married, had a family and worked as a bus driver before entering politics.
“Canada is facing a critical moment in our history,” Sohi said on Sunday. “While we can’t control President Trump, we can control how we respond — that is why I have decided to join Mark Carney in the fight for our community, for our province, and for our country.
“I will not back down.”
The mayor’s office said Sohi will take an unpaid leave of absence from his position during the federal campaign.
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Sohi will still officially be mayor of Edmonton during this time, the office said, but the official duties of the position will be carried out by the deputy mayor.
Edmonton city council follows a rotating schedule where each councillor serves as deputy mayor and acting mayor – the current deputy is Karen Principe and the acting is Erin Rutherford.
The mayor’s office said the deputy fills in for the mayor when they are not available (like now), and the acting mayor steps into the the duties of the deputy. The city said this is most important for things like chairing council and executive committee meetings.
If Sohi is elected as a member of Parliament on April 28, the city said, he will resign as mayor. Council will then meet to decide next steps, which may include appointing an interim mayor who will serve in the position until the fall municipal election, or maintaining a rotating acting-mayor schedule. The mayor position cannot remain vacant, however.
When speaking with Global News earlier this week, Alberta political analyst John Brennan noted this has happened before in Edmonton.
In 1988, former mayor Laurence Decore stepped down to lead the provincial Liberals and the council of the day picked an acting mayor from amongst themselves until an election was held a year later — not unlike when premier Alison Redford was forced out in 2011 and succeeded by deputy premier Dave Hancock on an interim basis.
Prime Minister Mark Carney announces funding for houses as Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi listens during a visit to Edmonton, Thursday, March 20, 2025.
Jason Franson/ The Canadian Press
For months, Sohi has been non-committal about his political future and whether he would run for mayor again in the municipal election this upcoming October.
On Thursday when Carney was in Edmonton, Sohi remained mum on the topic but said he had a productive meeting with the new Liberal party leader, who was elected just weeks ago after former prime minister Justin Trudeau stepped down.
Prime Minister Mark Carney meets with Alberta premier, makes housing announcement in Edmonton
Sohi has served Edmonton both municipally and federally in several roles. He represented southeast Edmonton on city council for eight years after being elected in 2007.
In 2015, he made the move into federal politics as the MP for Edmonton Mill Woods.
Sohi was minister of Infrastructure and Communities from 2015 to 2018 and Minister of Natural Resources from 2018 to 2019 in Justin Trudeau’s cabinet. He served one term before losing his seat during the 2019 federal election.
In 2021, he became Edmonton’s mayor.
Federal riding boundaries have changed since Sohi last ran, and his former riding of Edmonton Mill Woods is now split into two: Edmonton Gateway and Edmonton Southeast. He’ll run as the candidate for Edmonton Southeast.
This is a breaking news story. More to come…
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