Victoria councillor Marianne Alto announces bid for mayor

Victoria councillor running for mayor Victoria coun. Marianne Alto has announced her bid for mayor, making her the second councillor to announce their candidacy.

Another Victoria councillor has announced their intentions to run for mayor this year.

Long-time councillor Marianne Alto announced Tuesday that she plans to run for mayor during the municipal election in October.

The Dalhousie law school graduate was first elected to Victoria city council in 2010, when she won a byelection.

Before that, she worked as a principal at a consulting firm starting 1996.

If she's elected, Alto says her priorities would include ensuring that all Victorians have a home, and to help the city rebound economically from the pandemic.

Alto is the second person to announce a bid to be the next Victoria mayor.

In November, Coun. Stephen Andrew said he was running as a candidate for the role.

Andrew is a former journalist who worked at CFAX 1070 and CTV News in Victoria.

He was elected to city council in 2020 during a byelection.

Victoria filmmaker Krista Loughton has also announced she'll be running for a city councillor position in the fall.

Last year, Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps said she would not be seeking re-election after eight years and two terms in office.

The Victoria municipal election is scheduled for Oct. 15, 2022.