Councillor facing sex charges running for re-election
Wyatt registers ahead of Tuesday deadline
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A Winnipeg city councillor who faces sexual assault charges says he is running for re-election.
A day before Tuesday’s deadline, Russ Wyatt registered to run in the Transcona ward where he has served five terms and to which he was first elected in 2002.
“After much reflection, I have decided to stand for re-election in the Winnipeg municipal election,” Wyatt said in a statement Monday.
Ruth Bonneville / Free Press Files
Russ Wyatt says he is running for re-election in the upcoming civic elections.
“Time and time again, I have stood up to the powers that be, and they would love to get rid of me. But I see the mess this city is in today, with the disastrous new bus routes, ever rising water bills, developer largesse, and poverty in our streets,” he said.
Wyatt did not address the allegations against him in the statement, or his pending court battle. He has maintained his innocence in the past. Attempts to reach him Monday were unsuccessful.
The 56-year-old was charged in August with sexual assault and administering a noxious substance stemming from an October 2023 incident. He was previously charged with sexual assault and administering a noxious substance in March, based on allegations tied to a 2025 incident. None of the charges have been tested in court.
Wyatt has continued on as councillor despite calls from colleagues — including Mayor Scott Gillingham — to step aside.
Wyatt took a leave from council in 2018 for what city officials deemed a family matter. He was charged with sexual assault later that year after a woman told police he had attacked her in his home. The charge was stayed by Crown prosecutors the following year.
In 2022, he returned to politics and was elected again.
As of Monday, four other candidates have registered to run in Transcona: Shawn Nason, Chris Giesbrecht, Lora Meseman and Nathine Dagdick.
Winnipeggers go to the polls on Oct. 28.
morgan.modjeski@freepress.mb.ca