Mark Sutcliffe pitches 'comprehensive, serious' platform in bid for a 'mandate' as Ottawa's mayor

Mark Sutcliffe is seeking re-election as Ottawa mayor. He was first elected to the position in 2022. Photo by Jean Levac /POSTMEDIA

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Mayor Mark Sutcliffe laid out his vision for the next four years and beyond as he unveiled his full platform on the top floor of the Westin Hotel on Thursday with a panoramic view of downtown Ottawa for a backdrop.

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“We’re going to make Ottawa better than it was before,” Sutcliffe said to applause from supporters as he hit on the main points of a 70-page plan outlining his priorities for the local economy, public transit and transportation, infrastructure, the environment, homelessness and seniors, families and youth.

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“We’re going to make sure that in 2030, in 2040, in 2050, this city continues to be a great place to live, continues to be a kind and welcoming city, continues to have more opportunities for our kids and grandkids,” he said.

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Ottawa is poised to experience “historic” growth, Sutcliffe said, with a half-million new residents calling it home over the next 25 years.

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“It’s not just about what we’re going to do for the next four years,” he said. “It’s about positioning Ottawa for the future. It’s about making sure we have a strong local economy and that we’re creating jobs. It’s about keeping Ottawa affordable at a time of rising costs.”

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Sutcliffe was elected to his first term in 2022 with 51 per cent of the vote over challengers Catherine McKenney and Bob Chiarelli. He faces a decidedly different competition in 2026 from longtime progressive councillor Jeff Leiper, economist and frequent city hall critic Neil Saravanamuttoo and homebuilder Alex Lawson, who has mounted a grassroots campaign as a political outsider pushing for top-down reforms at city hall.

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With his poll numbers hovering around 50 per cent in Sutcliffe’s internal polling, conducted by David Coletto of Abacus Data, and a similar showing in a recent Nanos poll conducted for CTV News Ottawa, Sutcliffe’s campaign has gone on the offensive in the final weeks before Election Day on Oct. 26.

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During a televised CTV debate on Oct. 14, Sutcliffe challenged Leiper on his record as a three-term councillor who voted against the city budget in 2025.

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He went after Saravanamuttoo as the “architect” of a $250-million bike lane plan while serving as McKenney’s economic adviser in 2022 and questioned Saravanamuttoo’s idea to restrict cars from Queen Elizabeth and Colonel By drives in favour of a national park.

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Saravanamuttoo, for his part, responded by accusing Sutcliffe of spreading disinformation, called for an apology and said he had “no such plan” to install $250-million bike lanes.

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Mark Sutcliffe unveiled his full campaign platform from the 22nd floor of the Westin Hotel on Wednesday, Oct. 15. Photo by Jean Levac /POSTMEDIA

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Sutcliffe defended the recent shift in tone on Thursday and said Saravanamuttoo and Leiper had emerged as his “main opponents” in the race and both had levelled pointed criticism at his record as mayor.

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“I think it’s important for the people of Ottawa to understand the ideology behind some of the candidates who are running for mayor,” Sutcliffe said.

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“It’s a competition of ideas. It’s a competition of agendas, and it’s important for the residents of Ottawa to see that they have a clear choice in this election campaign,” he said.