Former Manitoba Liberal leader running for mayor

A former Manitoba Liberal leader has entered Winnipeg’s crowded mayoral race.
Rana Bokhari registered her candidacy Friday.
She joins eight other candidates—Jennifer Motkaluk, Don Woodstock, Christopher Clacio, Rick Shone, Scott Gillingham, Robert-Falcon Ouellette, Shaun Loney and Idris Ademuyiwa Adelakun.
In a phone interview with CTV News, Bokhari said she feels compelled to public service, and wants to help the city grow.
“I believe that we need a strong vision for the future. We've come through some very hard years. People have suffered financially, emotionally - all sorts of challenges that we've all faced during this pandemic,” she said.
Bokhari said her platform will be rooted in community connections, prosperity and sustainability of people, the economy and the environment.
Bokhari is currently a lawyer at Winnipeg-based firm Bokhari, Smith and Walker.
She studied law at the University of Manitoba and was elected leader of the Manitoba Liberal Party in 2013, shortly after she was called to the bar. She was the party’s first female minority leader and its youngest.
She ran for MLA in Fort Rouge in the 2016 Manitoba general election, losing to NDP Leader Wab Kinew.
Bokhari stepped down as party leader soon after.
She said since her last campaign, she has learned a lot.
“What I would really be doing different in this campaign is really just being my true, authentic self, being true to who I am as a woman, as a Pakistani woman, as a Muslim woman in the city, and just being authentic in every way possible, and that was something that wasn't able to do at that time,” she said.
The municipal election takes place on Oct. 26.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING | Brown campaign accuses Conservative party of acting in favour of Poilievre after disqualification from leadership race
The campaign for Patrick Brown said it was consulting its legal team after the leadership election organizing committee of the federal Conservatives voted to disqualify him from the race late Tuesday.

Woman who was set on fire on Toronto bus has died, police confirm
A woman who was set on fire while on a Toronto bus in a random attack last month has died, police say.
Assembly of First Nations delegates reject resolution calling for chief's suspension
An emergency resolution before the Assembly of First Nations annual meeting to reaffirm the suspension of National Chief RoseAnne Archibald has failed in Vancouver.
'We're all really shaken up': Father recounts reuniting with missing daughter as U.S. man is charged
The father of the Edmonton girl who was missing for nine days said he was getting ready to post another update on Facebook last Saturday when police knocked on his door.
Two young ER doctors quit Montreal jobs, blaming Quebec's broken health-care system and Bill 96
Two young emergency room doctors, raised and trained in Montreal, are leaving their jobs after only two years to move back to Toronto – and they say the Quebec health-care model and Bill 96 are to blame.
Tamara Lich breached conditions by appearing with fellow convoy leader: Crown
The Crown is seeking to revoke bail for Tamara Lich, a leader of the 'Freedom Convoy,' after she appeared alongside a fellow organizer in an alleged breach of her conditions.
Parade shooting suspect charged with 7 counts of murder
A man charged Tuesday with seven counts of murder after firing off more than 70 rounds at an Independence Day parade in suburban Chicago legally bought five weapons, including the high-powered rifle used in the shooting, despite authorities being called to his home twice in 2019 for threats of violence and suicide, police said.
Bank of Canada's rapid rate hikes likely to cause a recession, study finds
The Bank of Canada's strategy of rapidly increasing its key interest rate in an effort to tackle skyrocketing inflation will likely trigger a recession, says a new study released Tuesday from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.
Canada is the first country to ratify Finland and Sweden's accession to join NATO
Canada became the first country to ratify Finland and Sweden's accession protocols to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Tuesday.