ON April 26, The VOICE ran a story titled, “Is Rich Coleman ready to run for Mayor of Surrey?”

The Province is carrying the same story today (Sunday, June 10). It’s columnist Mike Smyth writes: “Rich Coleman, the veteran Liberal MLA and former interim leader of his party, might run for mayor of Surrey.”

He adds: “Coleman does not rule out running for the mayor of Surrey.

Coleman told The Province: “There is a rumour a day about me! I have not made any decision. If I do get close to a decision of any kind, I will let people know.”

In other words, Coleman hasn’t said NO!

I wrote back in April: “When Surrey Mayor Linda Hepner made the surprise announcement on April 10 that she would not seek re-election in the municipal election in October, The VOICE wrote that “the buzz was that a former B.C. Liberal minister would be quitting provincial politics to run for mayor in Surrey.”
“That person was Rich Coleman.
“Sources very close to Coleman had requested this writer not to mention his name at the time, but this week they re-confirmed that Coleman would run.”

I called Coleman twice in April on his cell phone and left messages, but he did not return my calls.

Coleman’s supporters point out that he has been Deputy Premier and has held several cabinet positions (Minister of Energy, Mines and Natural Gas and Minister Responsible for Housing, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General and Minister Responsible for Housing, Minister of Housing and Social Development and Minister of Forests and Range). This is his sixth term as an MLA.
Before entering politics, he was a member of the RCMP and ran a real estate management business.
His supporters say that with that solid background, he is just the type of mayor B.C.’s second largest city needs.