Henry Braun (politician)
Canadian politician and businessman / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Henry Braun (born c. 1950)[2] is a Canadian politician and businessman. He served as the mayor of Abbotsford, British Columbia from 2014 to 2022.
Henry Braun | |
---|---|
Mayor of Abbotsford, British Columbia | |
In office December 1, 2014[1] ā November 7, 2022 | |
Preceded by | Bruce Banman |
Succeeded by | Ross Siemens |
Abbotsford City Councillor | |
In office 2011ā2014 | |
Personal details | |
Political party | Independent |
Spouse | Velma Braun |
Occupation | businessman |
Braun was born in Paraguay where he lived with his family until he was three and a half, when they first moved to Steinbach, Manitoba and then to Abbotsford.[2][3] His parents were Russian Mennonite refugees from the Mennonite colonies of southern Ukraine who fled to Paraguay during World War II.[2][4] Before entering politics, Braun was a rancher and the CEO Pacific Northern Rail Contractors Corp.[5]
Braun was first elected as a city councillor in Abbotsford in the 2011 municipal election. As a councillor, Braun was known for his lone opposing votes, with mayor Bruce Banman calling him "(not) a team player".[6] He ran for mayor in 2014, defeating Banman by just over 600 votes. Braun ran on a platform of "fiscal responsibility" and "better accountability" in local government. He received some controversy in his run, as his son was director of development planning for the city, causing a possible conflict of interest.[5] In his campaign, he won the endorsements of former mayors George Ferguson and Dave Kandal.[7]
Braun was re-elected mayor in the 2018 mayoral election, defeating long-time city councillor Moe Gill and accountant Eric Nyvall, taking 57% of the vote.[8]
As mayor, Braun's biggest challenge was having to deal with the 2021 Pacific Northwest floods which ravaged the Sumas Prairie in the city.[9]
Braun did not run for re-election in 2022.