(Posted 7 a.m., Jan. 12)
Watson expected to enter mayoralty race today
By Fred Sherwin
Orléans Online

The worst kept secret in Ottawa may be revealed later today with a number of local media outlets reporting that Jim Watson will quietly declare his intentions to run for mayor in next fall's municipal election.

A news advisory was issued by an Ottawa-based media aide on Monday announcing that Watson would be issuing a statement on Tuesday. The nature of the announcement was not made apparent in the advisory.

According to a story on OttawaCitizen.com, Watson is expected to announce that he is stepping down as Ontario's Minister of Municipal Affairs to concentrate his efforts on a run for the mayor's chair.

Ottawa Sun City Hall columnist Sue Sherring says Watson will announce his intention to run for mayor in an e-mail to local media outlets.

Watson served as the mayor of Ottawa prior to amalgamation in January, 2001. In the months leading up to the 2000 municipal election, he was considered to be the natural choice to challenge the regional chair Bob Chiarelli for the top job in the new City of Ottawa. In the end, he took a pass and eventually was appointed head of the Ottawa Tourism Board.

After a brief stint as host of The New RO @ Noon in 2003, he won a seat in Ottawa West-Nepean in the 2003 provincial election, defeating Conservative incumbent Garry Guzzo in the process.

Following the election he was appointed Minister of Consumer and Business Services. He became Ontario's first Minister of Health Promotion during a Cabinet shuffle in June 2005, and later Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing after the 2007 election.

Watson's announcement would mark the unofficial kickoff of the 2010 municipal election. He is widely considered to be the frontrunner in a race that so far includes Bay Ward Coun. Alex Cullen and Robert Gauthier.

His announcement also throws into question the potential candidacies of councillors Perter Hume and Diane Deans who were thought to be considering running for the mayor's job. As for the current incumbent, Mayor Larry O'Brien, he has decided to hold off on making a decision until June in order to concentrate on running the city.

(This story was made possible thanks to thie generous support of our local business partners.)

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