What you need to know about the upcoming Election in Calgary

Khaoula Choual, Contributor | 

Less than two months away, on Oct. 20, Calgarians will be able to vote for their next mayor, councillors and school board trustees, but this time things will be a bit different. During this general election, political parties will be implemented.

What are the changes for this election?

Two provincial legislations will impact this year’s election. This will be Calgary’s first election with political parties and new legislative rules for campaign donations and candidate expenses. 

In 2024, the Alberta government passed Bill 20, the Municipal Affairs Statutes Amendment Act. This bill will cap corporations, third-party supporters and unions at a maximum dollar amount. It also sets rules for candidates on how much they can spend on campaign costs and how much they can receive. Automated voting counting machines will also be prohibited this election year, leaving voting results to potentially be delayed until after election day.

 Campaign and donation rules 

The population is used to determine limits for campaigns depending on the population size of the city. They are allowed to spend from $1 per person or $20,000 on their campaign, whichever is higher, which could potentially rack up to over a million dollars. This also applies to council candidates, but the population is based on the size of the ward.

Candidates can utilise their own funds for their campaign, but it is limited to $10,000. Individuals and organisations have a cap of $5,000 to any party in Calgary per year. 

Calgary’s political parties 

With political parties coming into play in the upcoming general election, the previous notion of independent candidates has been shaken up. 

However, current Mayor Jyoti Gondek is not a fan of political parties at a municipal level. Speaking to The Calgary Herald, Gondek said, “I think if we fall into this quagmire of becoming partisan at the local level, it hinders our ability to work across orders of government.” 

Gondek believes that political parties will divide people rather than unite them across all municipal and provincial levels. 

Local Authorities Election Act (LAEA) states that new municipal parties cannot be an already existing political party. Slogans, acronyms and political branding must all be different. Candidates can still choose to run as independents; however, if a candidate chooses to stay as an independent, they don’t get the same amenities. With political parties, you get to spend a little more than independent candidates.

Political parties do not apply to school board trustees. With the requirements needed to create your own political party, you must have at least 1000 signatures, and candidates must run in at least a third of the wards in Calgary and Edmonton.

Three new official political parties have been introduced: A Better Calgary Party, The Calgary Party and Communities First.

• A Better Calgary Party is a conservative-leaning party, according to the Sprawl, it supports “the family as a fundamental unit of society.”
• The Calgary Party focuses on making Calgarians safe and prioritising housing and community.
• Communities First focuses on public safety, increasing the policing budget and sustaining city infrastructure and keeping taxes low.

Who is running for mayor?

Some familiar faces are returning to the general election this year. Jyoti Gondek is running for a second term, while Jeromy Farkas and Jeff Davison, 2021 mayoral runner-ups, are also returning.

Mayor Jyoti Gondek

Due to Gondek’s mixed support from the public, voters have been sceptical about her returning candidacy for mayor. Traditionally, most mayors running for reelection in Calgary have been known to be a shoo-in for office. However, with low approval ratings, officials are not convinced Gondek will take a second victory. Lori Williams, a political analyst at Mount Royal University (MRU), told the CBC that with Gondek’s low numbers, her assumed electoral advantages no longer apply.  

In November 2024, she confirmed she would be running for reelection. Gondek served as a councillor for Ward 3 in 2017, and she changed history as Calgary’s first female mayor in 2021 where she won 45 per cent of the votes. Gondek has faced low polling over the last couple of years, along with a citizen petition to recall her.  According to the Calgary Herald, Gondek said she would improve communication between Calgarians and City Hall in her candidate announcement. She is running as an independent.

Jeromy Farkas 

Farkas also served as a councillor for Ward 11 between 2017 and 2021. He was the second runner-up in 2021, earning about 30 per cent of the votes. His promise to Calgarians is to increase jobs, housing, and public safety. He is also running as an independent.

Jeff Davison 

In 2021, Davison was the third runner-up with 13 per cent of the votes. He also served as a councillor for Ward 6 from 2017 to 2021. His main promise to Calgarians is a four-year property tax freeze. This year, he is running as an independent candidate.

Brian Thiessen

Brian Thiessen is best known as the former chair of the Calgary police commission. He said he will prioritise public safety and housing. He describes himself as a centrist who is fiscally conservative but socially progressive. He is running under The Calgary Party. 

Sonya Sharp 

Sharp serves as the current councillor for Ward 1. She announced her campaign to run for mayor on March 31, 2025. She wants to reduce the property tax increase by reducing spending and regaining provincial relationships, and prioritising safety. Sharp is running under the Communities First political party. 

Who are the ward councillors?

Calgary consists of 14 wards. They represent a balance between the demands of community members and the needs of the individual. Council partakes in creating laws and polices and makes sure those policies are implemented correctly. According to the City of Calgary website, 51 Candidates are currently running for Councillor across 14 wards. Candidates can still enter the race until Sept. 22. 

Who can vote? 

To vote, you must be at least 18 years old and a Canadian citizen. You also must reside in Alberta and Calgary to vote for the mayor. To vote for your councillors and the school board trustees, you must vote for candidates who represent your ward. While Voterlink registration closed on Aug. 27, citizens can vote without being registered. 

Why should you vote? 

Every Canadian citizen is entitled to vote. Voting permits you to choose who your next mayor, councillors, and school board trustees will be.  The outcome of an election is entirely up to you. Votes can shape results, and they allow you to advocate for your community and yourself.

Stay tuned for The Reflector’s continuing coverage of the 2025 General Election.