More credible candidates stepping forward as municipal election race heats up: expert

CALGARY (660 NEWS) — The candidate list is growing in the race for Calgary’s top office.

There are at least 14 people who you can choose from on Election Day on Oct. 18. And another has made her bid known.

Jan Damery, who was previously employed in the oil and gas industry and is currently the YWCA vice president of external relations and engagement, announced her candidacy Tuesday.

Assistant professor of policy studies at Mount Royal University, Lori Williams says this isn’t the largest number of candidates we’ve seen.

However, she says there do tend to be slightly higher numbers of credible candidates running when it’s an open seat.

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“We tend to see more people that are really serious contenders,” she said. “A fair number of them already, I think, are in that category.”

Williams explains at this stage in the game the front-runners are going to be the people with name recognition, such as incumbent councillors Jyoti Gondek and Jeromy Farkas.

She adds, other credible candidates will have to work hard to raise their profile and spread their campaign message.

“I think Jan Damery is a good candidate from that perspective, particularly since she’s got a good marketing background,” she said. “Zane Novak, Brad Field, you know they’re being looked at as people that have got good resumes coming into this.”

She adds, usually, candidates want to enter politics to make things better, but the chances are not as great in the current climate as they might have been at other times.

“At least from my perspective, it increases the respect I have for people that are willing to put their hat in the ring because this is going to be a very difficult job over the next four years,” she said.

The race for mayor is going to be very competitive and interesting, but Williams will also be closely watching what’s happening in the city’s wards as well.

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“So we’ve got at least six open wards, possibly seven,” she said. “We’re going to possibly see a shift of half of council.”

She says this is a little more than usual — and some candidates will use that as part of their campaign — saying they plan to re-shape the nature and tenure of council.

“And Jan Damery is clearly setting herself up as somebody who can do things different as a leader, both in terms of her vision, and in her ability to work collaboratively and set a new tone in council,” she said.

“That might be appealing to some people who have found it a little bit too divisive.”

In early April, Mayor Naheed Nenshi announced he will not be running for re-election this fall, saying maybe it’s time to make some space for these different perspectives and different voices to be in place.