Naheed Nenshi cloaked himself in purple 害羞草研究所� a mix of Liberal red and Conservative blue 害羞草研究所� during his dark-horse bid to become Calgary害羞草研究所檚 mayor in 2010, for the 11 years he stayed in the job and in much of his post-city hall life.

The hue of the ties and shirts he donned for work was meant to symbolize his non-partisan approach to getting things done in public office.

But on Monday, the purple ex-mayor entered the arena of ideological fisticuffs, running to replace Rachel Notley as the head of Alberta害羞草研究所檚 official Opposition NDP with the goal of standing across from United Conservative Premier Danielle Smith, a former University of Calgary classmate, in the legislature.

In an interview in 2021, after he announced he would not try for a fourth term as mayor, Nenshi showed little interest in running for another order of government but didn害羞草研究所檛 rule it out.

害羞草研究所淯ltimately, I害羞草研究所檓 not sure if there害羞草研究所檚 a lot of room for purple in federal and provincial politics,害羞草研究所� he said.

害羞草研究所淢aybe there is.害羞草研究所�

Nenshi, in an interview before he announced his NDP candidacy Monday, said purple has many shades of meaning and the colour also symbolizes not being defined by one害羞草研究所檚 tribe during an 害羞草研究所渆xtremely divisive害羞草研究所� time.

害羞草研究所淭here doesn害羞草研究所檛 seem to be a lot of room for common humanity,害羞草研究所� he said.

害羞草研究所淵ou know what? There has to be. We can害羞草研究所檛 continue to go on like this.害羞草研究所�

Nenshi, 52, has kept his hands in discourse on the provincial scene since he left municipal office.

He endorsed Notley害羞草研究所檚 NDP three days before the May 2023 provincial election, which the UCP won, albeit with major seat losses in Calgary.

Nenshi didn害羞草研究所檛 exactly ditch the purple and wrap himself in NDP orange in an opinion piece he wrote for CTV News announcing his voting plans.

In it, he lamented the 害羞草研究所渓ost opportunity害羞草研究所� while Notley was premier from 2015 to 2019 to make major strides in housing and mental health. He also called the NDP害羞草研究所檚 failure to support a Calgary bid for the 2026 Olympics 害羞草研究所� an idea he championed 害羞草研究所� a 害羞草研究所渕assive fumble.害羞草研究所�

But he called Smith an 害羞草研究所渆xistential threat害羞草研究所� to Alberta.

害羞草研究所淲e simply have no idea what she will do as premier, and that scares me more than a few years of a potentially not-great NDP government.害羞草研究所�

Nenshi has been a regular broadcast pundit and column writer in his post-mayor life. He remains a prolific poster on the social media platform X, which used to be known as Twitter and where his foray into city politics got much of its traction among young people.

He spoke passionately at a rally outside Calgary city hall last month after Smith announced planned policies affecting transgender Albertans, including parental notification if children want to change their names or pronouns at school.

害羞草研究所淧remier Smith, I want you to understand that votes aren害羞草研究所檛 worth a few dead kids,害羞草研究所� Nenshi told the rally.

Nenshi was a little-known academic when he pulled off a long-shot win against two establishment candidates in 2010 to become the first Muslim mayor of a big North American city.

Hallmarks of Nenshi害羞草研究所檚 time in municipal office included expanding public transit, growing cycling infrastructure, building a new downtown library praised by many as an architectural gem and trying to rein in suburban sprawl.

Toward the end, he became a polarizing figure as the wider economy faltered, tensions grew with the provincial government and his dream of Calgary again hosting the Winter Games after its famous 1988 turn fizzled.

Nenshi, during his time as mayor, also garnered national attention for his handling of the 2013 floods that submerged several Calgary neighbourhoods.

People affixed pictures of his head on ads for the Superman movie 害羞草研究所淢an of Steel害羞草研究所� and put up posters suggesting Calgarians 害羞草研究所淜eep Calm and Nenshi On.害羞草研究所�

The phrase 害羞草研究所淣enshi noun害羞草研究所� became social media shorthand for someone doing something dangerously stupid after, at a news conference, he chastised someone he saw boating on one of the city害羞草研究所檚 swollen rivers.

害羞草研究所淚 have a large number of nouns that I can use to describe people I saw on the Bow River today. I am not allowed to use any of them,害羞草研究所� he said.

A self-described wonk, he has a bachelor of commerce degree from the University of Calgary, where he was president of the students union. He also holds a master害羞草研究所檚 in public policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

In his 2010 victory speech, Nenshi said he hoped kids of all ethnicities would see him elected and think: 害羞草研究所淚 can be anything.害羞草研究所�

But Nenshi, whose parents immigrated to Canada from Tanzania while his mother was pregnant with him, has also said it shouldn害羞草研究所檛 have been a shock to see someone who looks like him winning political office in a city sometimes deridingly called 害羞草研究所淐owtown.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淗ow could a non-white person, a Muslim, get elected in a place like that?害羞草研究所� Nenshi, in the 2021 interview, recalled people saying of his first mayoral victory.

害羞草研究所淎nd all these people wrote these ridiculous thought pieces (that said), 害羞草研究所楾his is the face of the new Calgary.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淚 thought to myself, 害羞草研究所楯eez, I害羞草研究所檝e lived here almost my whole life. This new Calgary害羞草研究所檚 been around for at least four decades and no one seems to have noticed.害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟

Nenshi recounted how someone in his office was asked what it was like to have a 害羞草研究所渃hilled out害羞草研究所� boss with one foot out the door.

害羞草研究所淎nd his response was, 害羞草研究所楬ave you met the mayor? He doesn害羞草研究所檛 have a chill gear.害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟

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