Winnipeg politics — Mike Vogiatzakis wants to be the mayor of Winnipeg, but he does not live in Winnipeg. The funeral home director’s primary residence is in the RM of St. Andrews, about 25 km north of the city, and at a news conference Friday he flat-out refused to promise he would move if he wins on October 28.
By Maplestime News Desk | Winnipeg, Manitoba | October 3, 2026
Sources: CBC News, Winnipeg Free Press | Last updated: October 3, 2026
Key Takeaways
- Mayoral candidate Mike Vogiatzakis’s primary residence is in the RM of St. Andrews, roughly 25 km north of Winnipeg.
- He qualifies to run because he owns a second residence in Winnipeg plus three commercial properties in the city.
- At a West End news conference Friday (Oct. 2), he would not commit to moving to Winnipeg, saying it “doesn’t really matter.”
- On Sept. 1 he said he would move if elected on Oct. 28 — a promise he walked back Friday.
- His rivals pounced: Gillingham, Klein, Woodstock, Pagdato, Redden and Clacio all say a mayor should live in the city. All 11 other candidates do.
- The election is October 28, with 12 names on the ballot.
Mike Vogiatzakis: “I’m Still a Manitoba Resident”
To be clear, Mike Vogiatzakis is allowed to run. Owning property in Winnipeg satisfies the residency rules, and he owns plenty of it: a second home in the city and three commercial properties on top of the St. Andrews house where he actually lives. Legally, there is no problem here.
Politically, though, Friday’s news conference was a choice. Asked whether he would move to Winnipeg, Vogiatzakis said:
“Right now, my vision is to build a stronger and a better Winnipeg for a better future for all of us, and if I have to drive 10 minutes to the city from St. Andrews, it doesn’t really matter. I’m still a Manitoba resident.”
He also pitched himself as the outsider the city needs:
“There’s no mayoral candidate like me. I’m not politically connected. I’m here for the right reason. I care about the city. I don’t have political connections. I’m not part of the status quo. I’m here to change the city of Winnipeg.”
The same candidate has called Winnipeg “one of the worst cities in the world” — a city he wants to fix, apparently from 25 kilometres away.
A Shifting Promise on Moving
Here is the part his rivals will not let go of. On Sept. 1, Mike Vogiatzakis said he would move to Winnipeg if elected on Oct. 28. On Friday, standing in the West End, he would not make that commitment again.
Voters are allowed to ask what changed in a month. A candidate who tells you he will move, then tells you moving does not matter, is telling you something about how he handles promises.
Related: Winnipeg Mayoral Ballot 2026
Rivals Pounce
The other candidates did not waste time. Scott Gillingham: “if you’re going to run for mayor of Winnipeg, you already live in Winnipeg.” Kevin Klein: “I think it shows there’s not really a commitment to the city.” Don Woodstock called it “offensive.” Goriana Pagdato, Brianne Redden and Jose Clacio all said residency matters.
And CBC confirmed the scoreboard: every one of the other 11 candidates lives in a Winnipeg neighbourhood. Jenny Alam in St. Vital. Jose Clacio in Burrows. Edwin Calderon in Osborne Village. Markus Drexler in Westwood. Gillingham in St. James. Peter Gross in Sinclair Park. Rana Hayat in Fort Richmond. Klein in Charleswood. Pagdato in the North End. Redden in the Osborne Village area. Woodstock in Luxton.
That is eleven for eleven. Mike Vogiatzakis is the only one commuting to the job he wants.
What Comes Next
Winnipeggers vote October 28, with 12 candidates on the ballot. Residency will not decide the race on its own — property taxes, crime, transit and the budget will do most of the talking. But “the guy who doesn’t live here wants to run the place” is the kind of line that sticks to a campaign, and Vogiatzakis just handed it to his opponents gift-wrapped.
Maplestime will provide updates from the Winnipeg mayoral race as announcements are made.
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Should a mayoral candidate have to live in the city he wants to run — or is owning property there enough? Tell us in the comments. And share this with every Winnipegger voting on October 28.
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