A former Winnipeg city councillor is once again seeking the mayor’s seat. Kevin Klein confirmed to CTV News on Tuesday that he would be running for mayor of Winnipeg. He ran for the position in 2022, finishing in third place with 14.78 per cent of the vote. Klein served as city councillor for the Charleswood-Tuxedo-Westwood ward from 2018 to 2022 and was a Progressive Conservative MLA for Kirkfield Park after winning a 2022 byelection. He was not re-elected in the 2023 provincial election. Klein is president and CEO of the Klein Group, a newspaper company that publishes the Winnipeg Sun, the Graphic Leader in Portage la Prairie and the Kenora Miner-News. With Klein’s addition, 12 candidates are now running for mayor, including incumbent mayor Scott Gillingham. Other candidates who have registered to run for mayor include Chris Clacio, Mike Vogiatzakis, Umar Hayat, Mazher Alam, Don Woodstock, Joshua Pagdato, Johnny Calderón, Noah Redden, Zachary Uminski and Brad Gross. The 2026 general election takes place on Oct. 28. Mayor criticizes Klein over constant attacks, Nygard association In a statement Tuesday, Mayor Gillingham said he is warning Winnipeggers about the risk of electing Klein as mayor, calling him a “toxic” candidate. “Kevin Klein is notorious for his work as a Caribbean political fixer for Peter Nygard – and that’s just one of many controversies from his career,” the statement from Gillingham reads. “Members of every political party have been targeted by Klein’s constant attacks and personal criticisms. “At a point when the governments of Canada and Manitoba are collaborating with Winnipeg on major priorities, electing Klein will send a signal to close those doors of cooperation.” Klein worked briefly with the disgraced fashion icon, who was later convicted on several counts of sexual assault. In a 2022 debate, Klein said he left his position with Nygard after four months, calling him a “terrible person,” and said he didn’t witness anything illegal.
