It looks like party politics may not be coming to Kamloops City Hall after all.

Ray Dhaliwal, the mayoral candidate who was proposing to run a slate of candidates under the “Action 22 Kamloops” banner, tells NL News it is likely not needed anymore.

Speaking on NL Newsday, he says the intent of registering and running a slate of candidates was to break through the traditional advantage that incumbent candidates usually enjoy.

With five incumbents either not running for re-election or seeking the mayors chair, Dhaliwal says the slate has “done its job.”

“I have to say these unprecedented times have diminished the need for a slate and that I feel secure to acknowledge that there will be five new faces around the table very soon so it’s something my group and I are discussing and to see if we might have to make a change with that,” Dhaliwal said.

Action 22 Kamloops – an homage to Phil Gaglardi’s Action 88 Kamloops campaign in the 1988 municipal election – never publicly named any candidates, but it has been a registered entity with Elections BC since March 14.

“We will get the new faces on city council and that was my goal in the beginning so [the slate has] basically done it’s job so now we have to decide how we’re going to proceed with this going forward,” Dhaliwal added.

Also on the ballot for mayor of Kamloops are current city councillors Arjun Singh, Dieter Dudy, and Sadie Hunter along with businessman Reid Hamer-Jackson.

The 2022 municipal election is slated for October 15.