Jerry Pribil takes leave of council seat to run for PCs in London North Centre

London city Coun. Jerry Pribil officially announced he's taking a leave from city hall to run for the Progressive Conservatives in London North Centre. 

In a letter to the city clerk, Pribil, a downtown restaurant owner who failed to win the provincial seat in the 2022 election, said he'll be taking an unpaid leave of absence during the provincial campaign on Wednesday. 

"As a councillor, I have seen first hand the challenges we face as a city, and actively pursuing a seat at the table of the governing party is key to addressing those," the Ward 5 councillor wrote. 

In his letter, Pribil said his unpaid absence will continue until Friday, Feb. 28, the day after the vote. 

His letter said another city councillor will "step in and ensure the residents of Ward 5 receive appropriate municipal representation." 

Should Pribil win the riding, city council will have to choose how to fill his council seat, including holding a byelection or having councillors vote to fill the spot from a list of interested candidates.

Filling vacant council seats has been a source of controversy in the past. The next municipal election won't happen until Oct. 2026.

Pribil will be running in London North Centre against two-term NDP incumbent Terence Kernaghan and first-time Liberal candidate Tariq Khan. Carol Dyck is running for the Green Party. 

In the 2022 election, Pribil finished with 12,902 votes, second to Kernaghan, who had 16,811 votes.