Residents of Edmonton in most wards are likely to see familiar representatives on city council, according to unofficial results from the municipal election reported as of Tuesday evening.
Eight councillors who sought re-election — Karen Principe, Erin Rutherford, Aaron Paquette, Keren Tang, Ashley Salvador, Anne Stevenson, Jo-Anne Wright, and Michael Janz — have either secured or are projected to retain their positions on the council, as suggested by preliminary outcomes.
By 10:30 p.m. MT on Tuesday, Coun. Jennifer Rice from Ward Ipiihkoohkanipiaohtsi was the sole incumbent lagging behind in her race. She was trailing Jon Morgan by 571 votes, approximately 3.5 percentage points, with 90.5 percent of the polling stations reporting.
“If you’re an unfamiliar name or an unknown figure, it’s pretty uncertain,” Paquette, representing Ward Dene, told CBC News.
Incumbents are leading in the majority of Edmonton’s 12 wards, with new representatives expected in at least three wards that have tight contests, as the municipal election tally progressed on Tuesday evening.
As of Tuesday night, he was significantly ahead of his opponents, receiving approximately 43.5 percent of the votes with 90 percent of polling stations reporting.
“You can truly assess what an incumbent has accomplished, and there’s no hiding. If the community appreciates it, they’ll bring you back. If not, you’re out.”
Current results indicate that wards without incumbents experienced relatively closer races, such as Ward sipiwiyiniwak, where a ballot recount is necessary.
In that ward, represented previously by Sarah Hamilton, Darrell Friesen narrowly surpassed Thu Parmar by only six votes, with all polling stations reporting.
Edmonton’s returning officer has requested a recount, citing potential administrative or technical issues that may have impacted the tally, as stated in a news release from Edmonton Elections on Tuesday evening. Parmar confirmed to CBC News that an official recount will be conducted by Edmonton Elections, as allowed under Alberta’s Local Authorities Election Act.
The recount is scheduled to begin on Wednesday at 2 p.m., with official results expected to be announced by noon on Friday, according to the release.
In Ward Nakota Isga, formerly held by mayor-elect Andrew Knack, Better Edmonton’s Reed Clarke was leading by approximately 2.6 percent after all polling stations reported.
In Ward pihêsiwin, previously represented by mayoral candidate Tim Cartmell, Better Edmonton’s Michael Elliott was ahead by nearly 10 percent, with 95 percent of votes counted.
Edmonton Elections will keep updating the results on its website until Friday, when the official results are anticipated to be disclosed at noon.
Coun. Michael Janz, who is expected to secure his position in Ward papastew, is looking forward to collaborating with the newly elected councillors.
“Last time we were elected, we were still grappling with COVID … we couldn’t meet in person, everything was virtual, and we missed the opportunity to build connections,” Janz stated during a news conference on Tuesday afternoon.
“Now, we have the opportunity. We’ll convene with the new mayor and the new councillors to engage in genuine discussions about what we learned from residents.”
4 Better Edmonton candidates leading
Political parties had the ability to nominate candidates in this municipal election. Better Edmonton put forth a complete slate, with Cartmell as their candidate for mayor.
Preliminary results indicate that four of their candidates were leading in the 12 councillor races as of Tuesday night.
However, Paquette, running as an independent, stated that his campaign’s success stemmed from not being affiliated with a political party.
Coun. Aaron Paquette, representing Ward Dene, is anticipated to serve a third term on council. Unofficial election results indicate he had 43.5 percent of the votes in his ward, with 90 percent of the polls reporting by 10:55 p.m. Tuesday. (Natasha Riebe/CBC)
“We are consistently present. We are not just parachuting in, nor are we part of any larger system,” he remarked.
He referenced surveys indicating that 70 percent of Edmontonians preferred not to have a party system in local politics.
“They made their preferences clear [on Monday] night,” he added.
