So long, Sully

Mayor Sam Sullivan has had his 15 minutes of Olympic fame. He won't be giving away the Olympic flag to the mayor of Sochi, Russia on Feb. 28, 2010. That's because Coun. Peter Ladner won the Non-Partisan Association mayoralty nomination on June 8, 1,066-986. (For non-Vancouverites, the NPA is the unparty. It's a coalition of provincial and federal Liberals and Conservatives.)

Early in Sullivan's term, he accepted the Olympic flag at the Torino 2006 closing ceremony and did a donut in his electric wheelchair on live international TV. 

It was a flawless performance, but the same couldn't be said for his mayoralty. Sullivan said he was concerned with the plight of the city's homeless, but did little to solve the blight that is the Downtown Eastside ghetto. Ultimately, it was his stubborn, "I won't blink first" stance that prolonged a civic workers' strike in summer and fall of 2007 that was the beginning of the end for Sullivan. 

With Sullivan rolling into the sunset, what will become of supporter Jeff Mooney's spot on the VANOC board of directors? 

Vancouverites go to the polls on Nov. 15. Ladner's main challenger from the left-of-centre Vision Vancouver Party will be either Coun. Raymond Louie or NDP MLA Gregor Robertson.