William Azaroff of OneCity has withdrawn from the Vancouver mayoral race to support uniting progressive voters before the election. In his statement on Tuesday morning, Azaroff explained that he is stepping back to honor the pledge made by progressive groups to rally behind a single candidate capable of challenging incumbent Mayor Ken Sim.
Azaroff stressed the importance of consolidating support among progressive voters to effectively compete against Sim and his party. He emphasized the need for unity among progressives to shift the city’s trajectory, echoing the collective commitment of progressive parties to this cause.
His decision to withdraw aligns with the recent move by COPE candidate Stephanie Allen, who also ended her mayoral campaign. COPE has initiated a poll to gather input on selecting the unified progressive candidate.
Azaroff has thrown his support behind Green Party councillor Pete Fry as the chosen mayoral candidate of the progressive coalition. While withdrawing his candidacy, he extended well-wishes to the remaining contenders and expressed confidence in their abilities to lead the city forward.
Although stepping away from the mayoral race, Azaroff assured that OneCity will remain actively engaged in other civic competitions. He urged voters to back OneCity’s candidates running for various positions on the city council, school board, and park board.
