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ANALYSIS

Mayor Don Atchison says he does not plan to start thinking about October’s municipal election until the fall. That may be because he knows the toughest challenge yet to his tenure as mayor awaits him in five months.

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Veteran Ward 6 Coun. Charlie Clark is expected to announce on Wednesday that he intends to seek the mayor’s chair.

On paper, Clark is by far the most formidable candidate Atchison has faced in a re-election campaign. Twice Atchison’s only serious challenger was Lenore Swystun, a one-term councillor who failed in her bid to get re-elected. Atchison beat her handily in 2006 and 2009.

In 2012, political unknown Tom Wolf turned in a surprisingly strong showing, collecting 47 per cent of the vote to Atchison’s 52 per cent.

If a political newcomer could attract such a high level of support, a popular veteran councillor like Clark should give Atchison even more trouble. So the thinking might go.