The ex-husband of former premier Christy Clark and organizer with the Yes Vancouver party in the 2018 election made his intention known Tuesday night via a campaign website and YouTube video.
“I know that many of you — when looking at our city government — are shaking your head,” Marissen said in a one-minute video that had 27 views as of 11 p.m.
“That’s why I’m asking you to join me, get involved in my campaign to shake up city hall and get our city on the right track.”
Glacier Media reached out to Marissen earlier Tuesday but did not receive a response to a rumour that he was launching a mayoral campaign Wednesday.
Confirmation of Marissen’s run comes as another party linked to the NPA’s 2018 mayoral candidate, Ken Sim, is also set to launch Wednesday.
Marissen, who owns and operates Burrard Strategy Inc., didn’t state in the video or indicate on his markformayor.ca website whether he was running with a party or as an independent.
In the video, he said his campaign will focus on innovative policies “to finally break the logjam on housing.”
He promised to work with other levels of government to address mental health and addictions challenges and “deliver the green transportation and sustainable transit our neighbourhoods deserve.”
The website said Marissen has worked on many issues throughout his career as a public affairs strategist, including:
• Delivering on major transit investments, including the Canada Line, the Millenium Line and the Evergreen Line.
• Helping Vancouver International Airport achieve rent equity with the Montreal and Toronto airports — “saving up to $1 billion over 40 years.”
• Successfully waging a campaign for West Coast Express to reduce the CPR’s track rates.
• Advocating for the grassroots arts community and successfully reversing planned cuts.
Marissen was married to Clark when she attempted to run for Vancouver mayor in 2005. Clark lost the NPA’s nomination battle to Sam Sullivan, who went on to win the election that year over Vision Vancouver's Jim Green.
Marissen has been involved in federal politics for many years and a member of the Liberal Party, running campaigns for Paul Martin and Stephane Dion.
His entry into the race suddenly makes for a crowded field of mayoral candidates, with 18 months until the October 2022 election.
Mayor Kennedy Stewart, who ran as an independent in 2018, has indicated he will seek re-election and the NPA announced last week that longtime park board commissioner John Coupar will be its candidate.
Sim, who lost to Stewart by fewer than 1,000 votes in the 2018 election, said more than a year ago that he will run in the 2022 election. He wouldn’t say Tuesday whether he intends to be the mayoral candidate for the other party launching Wednesday.
Green Party Coun. Adriane Carr and former Vision Vancouver councillor Andrea Reimer told Glacier Media last week that they weren’t ruling out a run for the mayor’s chair in 2022.
A woman has never been elected mayor in Vancouver.
@Howellings
