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Kennedy Stewart has worn a lot of hats before.

An NDP MP since 2011, Stewart has been a musician, printing press operator, waiter, clerk at an electronics store, and city staffer.

The Burnaby South MP is also currently on leave from SFU’s School of Public Policy, where he was a professor before entering politics.

If there’s one gig he’s thinking of possibly doing, that would be mayor of Vancouver.

“I would really consider being mayor of Vancouver a dream job,” Stewart said in a phone interview from Ottawa.

Stewart reached out to the Georgia Straight after Research Co. released results of its latest survey on Thursday (May 3) showing that he among the top five most favoured by poll respondents as good choices for mayor of Vancouver.

The poll was topped by Vancouver Green councillor Adriane Carr with a 35 percent rating. Vision Vancouver councillor Raymond Louie was second at 19 percent; independent Jean Swanson, 17 percent; Non-Partisan Association councillor Hector Bremner, 11 percent; and Stewart, 10 percent.

According to Stewart, he had been made aware of the poll results a few days ago by people who are aware of the survey.

“Since then, my phone has been ringing off the hook, with people really urging me to stand for mayor of Vancouver, and I have to say it’s a pretty exciting prospect,” he said. “So I am really seriously pursuing this.”

Stewart said that he will make an announcement “sometime next week”.

Stewart said that he has a “deep connection” with Vancouver, recalling that he used to work at city hall in the planning department, and with park board.

He was active in the Coalition of Progressive Electors (COPE), helping in the mayoral campaign of Carmela Allevato in 1996.

Stewart also has a thorough understanding of local governments.

“My academic background is all about cities,” he said. “I wrote my master’s thesis on Vancouver politics. I taught in the urban studies program [of SFU]. I did my PhD on cities. And actually, the main textbook that’s used in Canada for local government course, it’s called a very exciting title, Local Government in Canada. I’m the author of that.”

Stewart added that he also worked with Terra Housing, which focuses on non-profit housing.

“I do really think I would be a good candidate to unite the progressives in Vancouver,” he said, noting that he has worked with them in the past.

The NPD MP is also one of the staunchest opponents of the expansion of the Trans Mountain oil pipeline by energy company Kinder Morgan.

Stewart and his wife live in downtown Vancouver.

“It would be a dream job, really,” Stewart said about the prospect of becoming city mayor.