Calgary Minute: Issue 333

Calgary Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of Calgary politics

📅 This Week In Calgary: 📅

• With less than three weeks until Calgary’s municipal election, unions are starting to endorse candidates. Calgary’s Future, a third-party advertiser representing CUPE Locals 37 and 38, the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 583, and the Calgary and District Labour Council, is backing incumbent Jyoti Gondek. The group cited her leadership on housing policy and is also endorsing 15 Council candidates, including Raj Dhaliwal in Ward 5, Andrew Yule in Ward 3, Nathaniel Schmidt in Ward 8, and Harrison Clark in Ward 9. The endorsements are mostly members of The Calgary Party, except where there are left-leaning incumbents, who they are endorsing over their Calgary Party challengers. Meanwhile, the Calgary Police Association has endorsed Sonya Sharp and her Communities First slate, the first time in more than a decade the union has formally endorsed candidates. Association President John Orr highlighted Sharp’s pledge to hire 500 more officers, citing Calgary’s below-average officer-to-population ratio.
  
  
• A new Leger poll shows that over 50% of Calgarians believe the city is moving in the wrong direction, with many undecided on who can address the issues. Among decided voters, Jeromy Farkas leads slightly over incumbent Mayor Jyoti Gondek, with 16% supporting Farkas and 14% backing Gondek. Other leading candidates include Sonya Sharp at 11%, Jeff Davison at 8%, and Brian Thiessen at 4%. Key concerns for residents include lowering taxes, reducing spending, and addressing poverty, while the ongoing teachers strike may be affecting voter priorities. 55%  of respondents said they will definitely vote, up from 46% in 2021, with older voters most likely to participate. Despite the introduction of party-affiliated candidates, 51% of voters indicated party affiliation is not important in their decision.
  
  
• Early campaign finance disclosures show that the Calgary Party has raised and spent more than any other party in the current municipal election, collecting $304,159 in donations and spending $288,521 from January to July. Communities First raised $121,608 and spent $121,088, while A Better Calgary raised just over $23,000 and spent $11,663, reflecting its smaller slate of candidates. Calgary Party strategist Stephen Carter said their platform and Mayoral candidate Brian Thiessen’s leadership have resonated with both voters and donors, enabling this fundraising advantage. The party has focused spending on broad voter outreach early in the campaign and is now emphasizing targeted digital advertising and promotional materials, including brochures, posters, signs, and billboards.
  
  
• Speaking of early campaign disclosures, candidate disclosures show Sonya Sharp and Jeromy Farkas leading Calgary’s Mayoral fundraising in the first seven months of 2025. Sharp, the outgoing Ward 1 councillor and Communities First candidate, raised $219,971 and spent $182,163, while Farkas, a former Ward 11 Councillor, raised $169,901 and spent $182,100. Incumbent Jyoti Gondek raised $151,197 and spent $86,087 during the same period. Jeff Davison raised $146,049 and has spent $229,585, while Brian Thiessen raised $145,228 and has spent $179,913.
  
  
• A national Canada Post strike has disrupted campaign efforts ahead of Calgary’s municipal election, limiting the distribution of campaign materials and voter information. Elections Calgary had only just begun delivering voter information cards when the strike halted mail service, complicating both outreach and mail-in voting. Candidates have had to pivot to door-to-door distribution to reach residents, particularly in areas with many apartment buildings. Some candidates said the strike actually levels the playing field for grassroots campaigns that rely more on volunteers than funding. Incumbent Mayor Jyoti Gondek planned ahead, using private delivery to avoid disruption. The strike raises concerns about voter engagement, turnout, and confidence in the election process.

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨

🪙 This Week’s Sponsor: 🪙

This week's sponsor is you! We don't have big corporate backers, so if you like what you're reading, please consider making a donation or signing up as a monthly member.

Having said that, if you are a local business and are interested in being a sponsor, send us an email and we'll talk!