Kennedy Stewart may be the most high-profile and experienced mayoral candidate in Vancouver. Scholastically, he completed his Masters in urban politics and policy at Simon Fraser University and his PhD on world cities at the London School of Economics. He has advised governments and the United Nations about cities and housing. In 2011, as part of NDP's monumental Orange Wave, he was elected as a Member of Parliament where he was appointed as official opposition critic for science and technology. A vocal opponent of the Kinder Morgan export-only pipeline while in office, he actively participated in demonstrations against the pipeline in 2018. His signature issues as a Member of Parliament were stopping the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain Pipeline and advocating for affordable housing in cities. In May 2018, he resigned from office and announced his candidacy to be the Mayor of Vancouver and unite the city's progressives.