Meet the Calgary mayoral candidate: Grant Prior

Calgary’s municipal election is now less than a month away and nine people are vying for your vote for the mayor’s seat.

CTV News invited each of the mayoral candidates this year to answer the same three questions in three minutes or less.

The video segment is posted in full above, and the answers are transcribed below.

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Grant Prior is a mayoral candidate running as an independent.

Why are you running for mayor?

Prior: “I think regular working-class people haven’t had a voice in politics – what we get mostly is just political speak – and I thought that it was about time somebody stood up and tried to give a voice to those that are voiceless, so, I figured the best thing was to run for mayor."

What’s the most important issue that needs to be addressed in the city in the next year?

Prior: “Affordability. This is something that’s directly deep to my heart.

“I have three kids, my youngest is 20, and they can’t afford to get into the housing market – so that’s something definitely that needs to be addressed, so that that income that they will get from the housing market, from buying in, is then something that they can then use later on in life.

“I think realizing that working-class people are the economic driver of our home economy, it is the basis and we’re starting to lose the middle class, so making life affordable for them so that regular people..., no more death by a thousand cuts, basically.”

Why should Calgarians vote for you?

Prior: “I’m you. I’m no better than you, I’m different than you. I’m just a -- my wife hates this -- a regular guy, trying to make a difference.

“So, if you can see yourself in me, I’m going to get behind the curtain. I’m going to tell you the truth of what’s going on. And I’m going to fight and give you a voice.”