Ottawa city councillor Alex Cullen has thrown his hat into the 2010 mayoral race.
"The election season doesn't begin until 2010, so I think it's fair for people to know my intentions," Cullen told CTV Ottawa.
Cullen, who started his career in municipal politics in 1981, announced his intention to run for the city's top job on Thursday.
Cullen, traditionally a left-leaning politician, says he doesn't plan to change the way he does politics in order to appeal to a wider variety of people.
"I think people want to know who they are electing and I'm not going to change my spots because it's politically convenient," said Cullen.
"They're going to see me for who I am."
The mayoral race now has two candidates.
Mayor Larry O'Brien declared his intention to seek re-election on Wednesday.
