Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi said he is considering taking a leave of absence as mayor to run in the upcoming federal election because Canada needs "serious, mature, determined, focused leadership" to face the political turbulence caused in part by United States President Donald Trump.
"I see this as an opportunity that I can play a role at the national stage, at a time when our country is going through some of the most unpredictable, unexpected, unprecedented times — the threat to our sovereignty, the threat to our jobs, to our economy, our way of life, from Trump and the impact that will have on the Edmonton region — (and) we need voices at the table," Sohi said during an interview for Speaking Municipally, Taproot's civic affairs podcast, on March 21. "What Trump is doing to our country is basically a wake-up call … that we need to reduce our dependency on a single customer who has become so volatile now and so unpredictable."
Sohi confirmed that Prime Minister Mark Carney asked him during his visit to Edmonton on March 20 if he would consider running for the Liberal party in the next federal election. Sohi said that, if he runs, he will do so in the new Edmonton Southeast riding. Carney is expected to call an election on March 23, sending voters to the polls on either April 28 or May 5.
Several news media, citing sources close to the mayor, have reported Sohi has already decided he will not run for re-election as mayor in the October 2025 municipal election and that he will instead seek a federal seat. Sohi told Taproot he is still thinking about his options but will make a decision in the next few days.
Sohi said he would take an unpaid leave of absence as Edmonton's mayor if he decides to run for a federal seat. If elected as a member of Parliament, Sohi would be forced to resign as mayor. If unsuccessful, however, Sohi told Taproot he would return to city hall, serve out the remainder of his mayoral term, and not run for mayor in the municipal election in October.
"If I do run federally, I will not be running for mayor at all. I think it's important to provide that clarity to Edmontonians."
This would not be the first time Sohi has switched between municipal and federal politics. He was first elected to city council in 2007 in Ward 6. In 2015, he left his Ward 12 city council seat (won in the 2013 election) when Justin Trudeau, then leader of the federal Liberal party, asked him to run in the Edmonton Mill Woods riding. Sohi won that race by fewer than 100 votes. Sohi served as a cabinet minister during Trudeau's first government. He lost his federal seat to Conservative Tim Uppal in the 2019 federal election. Sohi was elected mayor of Edmonton in 2021.
Asked if he was abandoning Edmontonians for a more prestigious position in Ottawa, Sohi said that isn't part of his decision.
"I can tell you, I've been a cabinet minister before, and I've been in this role for three and a half years — being mayor is more fun than being a cabinet minister," he said.
Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi during a year-end interview in 2024. (Mack Male/Flickr)
Sohi is considering re-entering federal politics because "we would be lacking strong voices from the region if the Liberals formed government," he said. "I also feel that my experience, my style of leadership, where I can remain calm, steadiness, and the temperament I have to deal with crises and the difficult situations could be helpful at a national level, when we are dealing with the most unpredictable times that we have never imagined before."
Sohi said he would not run in the federal election if Carney was not leading the Liberal party.
"I was watching the (Liberal leadership race) very closely, as much as I could, because I was feeling that who gets elected will be instrumental in what kind of leadership is required for us to navigate through these challenges," he said.
"I feel that the kind of maturity, temperament, and international experience that Mr. Carney has is required," he said, adding that "in normal circumstances, I would have said 'No' right away, because it's hard on the family."
The Liberals have made an astounding rebound in the polls since Trudeau resigned on Jan. 6, Trump launched attacks on Canada's sovereignty and economy, and Carney became prime minister.
Who will be mayor if Sohi becomes an MP?
If Sohi runs federally, he said he will take an unpaid leave of absence. Council would be required to actively fill the position both during this leave of absence and in the event Sohi was elected federally, city clerk Aileen Giesbrecht told Taproot. Edmonton councillors could adopt the deputy mayor list, which designates one councillor per month as deputy mayor in the event the mayor is unable to fulfill their duties. Council could also choose to appoint one or more councillors to the mayor's seat for the remainder of the term.