Election 2025: Campaign Roundup - Day 12

Welcome to Day 12 of our Calgary 2025 Campaign Roundup!

With the 2025 municipal election underway, we'll be bringing you daily updates on all the policy proclamations, platform promises, and political point-scoring from the campaign trail.

As always, our work is entirely funded by donations from residents just like you, so if you appreciate the updates, please consider making a one-off donation or signing up as a supporter for just $10 a month - that's just 36 cents per email!

Campaign Roundup - Day 12:

• New polling from Leger showed that voter engagement is relatively high, with 72% reporting they are likely to vote, especially those aged 55+ and higher-income earners. Mayoral support is split, with Jeromy Farkas leading (16%), followed by Jyoti Gondek (14%), Sonya Sharp (11%), Jeff Davison (8%), and Brian Thiessen (4%), while 35% remain undecided. Awareness is highest for Gondek (72%) and Farkas (58%), and Farkas leads in approval among those aware of each candidate (48%), closely followed by Davison (47%) and Sharp (44%). Key issues for voters include lowering taxes (42%), reducing spending (27%), and poverty reduction (23%).
  
  
• Early campaign disclosures from January 1st to July 31st, 2025 show Sonya Sharp and Jeromy Farkas leading in fundraising among the Mayoral candidates. Sharp raised $219,971 and spent $182,163, while Farkas raised $169,901 and spent $182,100. Incumbent Jyoti Gondek raised $151,197 and spent $86,087 in the same period. Other top candidates include Jeff Davison ($146,049 raised, $229,585 spent) and Brian Thiessen ($145,228 raised, $179,913 spent).
  
  
• Speaking of disclosures, preliminary campaign donor disclosures have highlighted differences in the campaigns. Provincial law requires full disclosure of donations only after the election, with an early report covering January 1st - July 31st, 2025. Mayoral candidate Jeromy Farkas has voluntarily posted weekly donor names on his website, arguing voters deserve to know who is backing candidates before they vote. He has also raised concerns about the influence of third-party groups. Other candidates, including Sonya Sharp, have committed only to legally mandated disclosures, while Jeff Davison’s campaign indicated it may go further voluntarily. Critics, including the Calgary Party, argue that Farkas’s early disclosures are just names and fall short of full transparency.
  
  
• Unions have begun endorsing candidates. Calgary’s Future, a third-party group representing CUPE Locals 37 and 38, the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 583, and the Calgary & District Labour Council, is endorsing incumbent Mayor Jyoti Gondek for re-election. The group cited her leadership on housing strategy and her experience addressing City issues as reasons for their support. Meanwhile, the Calgary Police Association has endorsed Sonya Sharp for Mayor and all 10 of her Communities First Council candidates. The Calgary Firefighters Association has not endorsed any candidates yet.

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