Yellowknife mayor confirms he’ll step down, runs for council seat instead

Yellowknife mayor confirms he’ll step down, runs for council seat instead Ollie Williams Friday September 18, 2026 at 1:51pm MT Ben Hendriksen. Ollie Williams/Cabin Radio Share Ben Hendriksen confirmed on Friday he won’t seek election to a full term as Yellowknife’s mayor. He’s running for a councillor’s seat instead. Hendriksen had stated in the past he would not run for mayor this fall. He became mayor in May last year, replacing Rebecca Alty – in a vote limited to fellow council members – after she was elected as the Liberal MP for the NWT. “There is still work to do in our current term at council and at City Hall and so there is still work for me to focus on as mayor,” he wrote online in a short announcement of his candidacy. “You’ll see more from me about my candidacy for council starting later next week.” The two confirmed candidates for mayor so far are current councillor Garett Cochrane and city economic manager Melissa Syer. Election day is on October 19 and candidate lists will be finalized next week. Advertisement. Advertisement. By Cabin Radio’s count, at least 17 people are intending to run for council. Related Articles Yellowknife election 2026: Who’s running for mayor and council? September 2, 2026 Ben Hendriksen will replace Rebecca Alty as Yellowknife mayor May 5, 2025 YK councillors allow mayor to miss meetings during election March 25, 2025 Top Stories Tłı̨chǫ Government appoints new executive officer September 18, 2026 ‘It’s us.’ Tłı̨chǫ culture shapes new Edzo transitional facility September 18, 2026 What’s in Yellowknife’s proposed transportation plan? September 18, 2026 Yellowknife composer Carmen Braden’s Imaginal takes on a new form September 18, 2026 Northern Canada given new chief firearms officer position September 18, 2026 This article written by: Ollie Williams Ollie is Cabin Radio's editor and a co-founder of the station.