William Azaroff Withdraws from Vancouver Mayoral Race, Consolidating Progressive Support for Pete Fry
William Azaroff, the OneCity Vancouver candidate, has announced his withdrawal from the mayoral race. This decision, made public on Tuesday, leaves Green Party city councillor Pete Fry as the sole progressive candidate for the upcoming October 17 municipal election. Azaroff's withdrawal follows a similar move six days prior by COPE mayoral candidate Stephanie Allen. Both OneCity and COPE, along with the Green Party, identify as progressive or left-of-center. Azaroff stated that his decision was driven by the belief that uniting behind a single progressive mayoral candidate is necessary to unseat the current Mayor Ken Sim. He had been considering this move since the previous Thursday and consulted with his party before making the final decision. Azaroff, who is the CEO of non-profit Brightside Homes, secured his party's nomination in February.
