Big money, political parties shaped Edmonton’s election: analyst

One political analyst believes Better Edmonton’s performance should be considered a success following Monday’s election. CTV Edmonton’s Jeremy Thompson reports.

Big money and political parties helped Monday’s election stand out from past votes.

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Former three-term councillor Andrew Knack won, despite being outspent at least five to one by his main rival Tim Cartmell.

While some observers say Edmontonians rejected party politics, one analyst believes Better Edmonton’s performance should be considered a success.

In his victory speech, Edmonton’s new mayor-elect said voters sent a clear message on election day.

“Everyday Edmontonians spoke loud and clear, choosing optimism and hope over big money and party politics,” said Knack on Tuesday.

Final figures don’t have to be reported for months, but preliminary disclosures show Knack raised under $200,000 by election day, while Cartmell had collected $850,000 by the end of July.

This means Knack spent about $2.60 per vote he received, compared to $14.45 for Cartmell. Those dollar amounts will go up when final fundraising numbers are factored in.

“I think what we saw here is a rejection of Tim Cartmell,” said political advisor Najib Jutt. “I just think that no amount of money in the world was going to make people vote for him.”

Some observers believe Cartmell’s decision to start a party was a turn-off for voters.

Newly re-elected councillor Michael Janz said parties came up frequently when he was out door-knocking ahead of Monday’s election.

“I heard from many neighbours. One of the first questions they asked was: ‘Are you part of a party?’ and if the answer was yes, the door closed.”

But Jutt isn’t so sure voters rejected party politics.

“I would argue from the viewpoint of Better Edmonton, this was a massive success for them,” he said.

Jutt chalks the success up to three out of four Better Edmonton candidates winning in their respective wards.

Better Edmonton also finished second in five council races, earning more than 50,000 votes.

Returning councillor Karen Principe says that support carries a message.

“It tells me that they like our vision,” she said. “I think people could relate and understand, and they could see that Better Edmonton was looking to represent the people of Edmonton and make the city a better Edmonton.”

Meanwhile, Jutt believes the results don’t reflect poorly on parties; instead, they demonstrate the power of incumbency, even for an apparently unpopular council.