2007 Edmonton municipal election

2007 Edmonton municipal election
← 2004 October 15, 2007 2010 →
Mayor and 12 councilors to Edmonton City Council
 
Candidate Stephen Mandel Don Koziak
Popular vote 98,751 38,027
Percentage 65.8 25.3
Mayor before election

Stephen Mandel

 Elected mayor

Stephen Mandel

The 2007 Edmonton municipal election was held Monday, October 15, 2007, to elect a mayor and 12 councillors to the city council, eight of the nine trustees to Edmonton Public Schools, and four of the seven trustees to the Edmonton Catholic Schools. One incumbent public school trustee had no challengers, and three separate school trustee candidates (one being an incumbent) were unchallenged. Since 1968, provincial legislation has required every municipality to hold triennial elections. Of the estimated 560,117 eligible voters, only 152,576 turned in a ballot, a voter turnout of 27.2%.[1]

This was the last Edmonton city election to be held with multiple members elected in a contest. On July 22, 2009, City Council voted to change the electoral system of six wards electing two councillors each, to a system of 12 wards; each ward to be represented by a single councillor. The changes took effect for the 2010 election.[2]

Candidates

Bold indicates elected, italics indicates incumbent.

Mayor

Mayor[1]
Candidate Votes %
Stephen Mandel 98,751 65.80%
Don Koziak 38,027 25.34%
Dave Dowling 2,690 1.79%
George Lam 2,647 1.76%
Dustin Becker 2,568 1.71%
Bill Whatcott 1,665 1.11%
Peter T. Lefaivre 1,413 0.94%
Robert (Bob) Ligertwood 1,235 0.82%
Khaled Kheireddine 1,089 0.73%

Councillors

Each voter could cast two votes. Plurality block voting was used to elect members.

Councillors[1]
Ward 1 Ward 2 Ward 3
Candidate Votes % Candidate Votes % Candidate Votes %
Karen Leibovici 17,870 40.6% Kim Krushell 12,762 31.8% Ed Gibbons 11,278 28.9%
Linda Sloan 14,752 33.5% Ron Hayter 11,073 27.6% Tony Caterina 9,126 23.4%
Andrew Knack 6,109 13.9% Dave Loken 7,022 17.5% Harvey Voogd 8,565 22.0%
Betty Kennedy 5,338 12.1% Shelly Tupper 4,869 12.1% Chris Martin 3,699 9.5%
Ward 4 Kerry Hutton 2,262 5.6% Kyle Balombin 3,207 8.2%
Jane Batty 9,800 20.84 Jabin Caouette 2,149 5.4% Thomas J. Tomilson 1,524 3.9%
Ben Henderson 9,092 19.34 Shiu Wing Mak 1,116 2.9%
Lewis Cardinal 8,908 18.95 Chris Roehrs 457 1.2%
Debbie Yeung 7,669 16.31 Ward 5 Ward 6
Sheila McKay 4,187 8.91 Bryan K. Anderson 17,867 33.8% Dave Thiele 11,716 23.4%
Hana Razga 2,397 5.10 Don Iveson 16,848 31.8% Amarjeet Sohi 10,503 21.0%
Brent Thompson 922 1.96 Mike Nickel 14,597 27.6% Chinwe Okelu 10,250 20.5%
Brian E. Patterson 887 1.89 Brent Michalyk 3,610 6.8% Chuck McKenna 9,222 18.4%
Nyambura Mia Belcourt 572 1.22 Lori G. Jeffrey-Heaney 7,136 14.2%
Thomas W. Roberts 514 1.09 Tomas Dennis Vasquez 1,281 2.6%
Deborah J. Peaker 472 1.00
Adil Pirbhai 468 1.00
Jodi Flatt 458 0.97
Margaret Saunter 371 0.79
Brian Wissinck 298 0.63

Public school trustees

Edmonton Public Schools[1]
Ward A Ward B Ward C
Bev Esslinger Acclaimed Ken Shipka 4,718 53.3% Sue Huff 6,932 61.6%
Wendy Keiver 4,135 46.7% Don Williams 4,314 38.4%
Ward D Ward E Ward F
Dave Colburn 3,795 50.94% Ken Gibson 4,849 52.7% Don Fleming 6,272 56.4%
Amanda Beisiegel 3,655 49.06% Neil MacDonald 4,360 47.3% Susan O'Neil 4,851 43.6%
Ward G Ward H Ward I
George Rice 5,306 36.1% Catherine Ripley 10,645 71.0% Gerry Gibeault 5,729 50.25%
Sheila Clifford-MacKay 3,765 25.6% Neil Robblee 4,340 29.0% Judith Axelson 5,673 49.75%
Marlene Spencer 2,759 18.8%
Terry J. McKinnon 1,783 12.1%
Myrna Freeman 1,070 7.3%

Separate school trustees

One trustee is elected from each ward, and the non-victorious candidate with the most total votes is also elected.[1]

Edmonton Catholic Schools[1]
Ward 1 Ward 2 Ward 3
Candidate Votes % Candidate Votes % Candidate Votes %
Debbie Engel Acclaimed Jim Urlacher 3,352 39.7% Cindy Olsen 4,176 58.0%
Becky Kallal 2,704 32.0% Joe Filewych 1,950 27.1%
Luigi Esposito 2,383 28.2% Jim Shinkaruk 1,070 14.9%
Ward 4 Ward 5 Ward 6
Rudy Arcilla Acclaimed Marilyn Bergstra 4,244 63.0% Kara Pelach Acclaimed
John Acheson 2,497 37.0%

Jim Urlacher served as the trustee from Ward 2 until his death on May 16, 2009.[3]

Reaction

Mayoral

Incumbent Stephen Mandel won an absolute majority of the votes for mayor, far ahead of the second candidate Don Koziak, however the lack of a close race left voter turnout very low, 27 percent.[4] Observers saw it as an endorsement of Mandel's more ambitious attitude and free-spending ways compared to past mayors, as well as a mandate to push the province for more funding and neighbouring communities for great regional planning.[5]

Council

Ward 4

Ben Henderson just managed to fend off Lewis Cardinal by 184 to fill the vacant seat.

Ward 5

Ward 5 provided the biggest surprise of the election as incumbent and former mayoral candidate Mike Nickel was upset by 28-year-old newcomer Don Iveson. Iveson received 2,000 more votes than Nickel. Nickel was the only incumbent not re-elected.[4]

Ward 6

This ward was exceptionally close with just 466 votes separating first and third place.

Candidates summaries

(Italics indicate incumbent)

Mayor

  • Dustin Becker - heavy equipment operator[6]
  • Dave Dowling - finished sixth in the 2004 mayor race
  • Khaled Kheireddine
  • Don Koziak - hotel owner[7]
  • George Lam - university graduate
  • Peter T. Lefaivre
  • Robert Ligertwood - business owner[8]
  • Stephen Mandel - incumbent
  • Bill Whatcott - social conservative activist

Councillors

Ward 1

Ward 2

  • Jabin Caouette - finished ninth in the 2004 Ward 2 race
  • Ron Hayter - incumbent
  • Kerry Hutton - finished seventh in the 2004 Ward 2 race
  • Kim Krushell - incumbent
  • Dave Loken - finished third in the 2004 Ward 2 race
  • Shelley Tupper - federal employee

Ward 3

  • Kyle Balombin - finished fifth in the 2004 Ward 3 race
  • Tony Caterina - finished third in the 2004 Ward 3 race
  • Ed Gibbons - incumbent
  • Shiu Wing Mak - internet technician[9]
  • Chris Martin - CBC production assistant
  • Chris Roehrs
  • Thomas James Tomilson - finished seventh in the 2004 mayor race
  • Harvey Voogd - political activist

Ward 4

With the retirement of Michael Phair from Ward 4, at least one new face from Ward 4 would have a spot on Council.

  • Jane Batty - incumbent
  • Nyambura Mia Belcourt
  • Lewis Cardinal
  • Jodi Flatt
  • Ben Henderson - theatre director[7]
  • Sheila McKay
  • Brian Edward Patterson
  • Deborah J. Peaker
  • Adil Pirhabi - accountant[10]
  • Hana Razga
  • Thomas Roberts - finished fifth in the 2004 Ward 4 race
  • Margaret Saunter
  • Brent Thompson
  • Brian Wissink
  • Debbie Yeung - finished fourth in the 2004 Ward 4 race

Ward 5

Ward 6

With the retirement of Terry Cavanagh from Ward 6, at least one new face from Ward 6 would have a spot on Council.[11]

  • Lori G. Jeffrey-Heaney - former councilor and then mayor of Val Quentin, Alberta
  • Chuck McKenna - transit operator, independent consultant[12]
  • Chinwe Okelu - finished third in the 2004 Ward 6 race
  • Amarjeet Sohi - transit operator[13]
  • Dave Thiele - incumbent
  • Tomas Dennis Vasquez - program co-ordinator[14]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "2007 Election - Official Results" (PDF). City of Edmonton. October 19, 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 15, 2010. Retrieved September 19, 2010.
  2. ^ "City of Edmonton". www.edmonton.ca. Archived from the original on April 15, 2023. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
  3. ^ "News Release" (PDF). Edmonton Catholic Schools. May 18, 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 12, 2010. Retrieved September 14, 2009.
  4. ^ a b "Newcomer Iveson knocks Nickel out of the ring". Edmonton Journal. October 16, 2007. Archived from the original on October 18, 2007. Retrieved October 17, 2007.
  5. ^ "A victory for big ideas". Edmonton Journal. October 17, 2007. Archived from the original on November 3, 2012. Retrieved October 17, 2007.
  6. ^ "Is the race for mayor Edmonton's other fringe festival?". Vue Weekly. October 9, 2007. Archived from the original on October 30, 2013. Retrieved October 29, 2013.
  7. ^ a b "Edmonton voters turf Ward 5 councillor, re-elect mayor". CBC News. October 16, 2007. Retrieved October 29, 2013.
  8. ^ "Survey Says: Robert (Bob) Ligertwood". Edmonton Journal. Postmedia Network. September 22, 2007. Archived from the original on October 30, 2013. Retrieved October 29, 2013.
  9. ^ "Survey Says: Shiu Wing Mak". Edmonton Journal. Postmedia Network. October 4, 2007. Archived from the original on October 30, 2013. Retrieved October 29, 2013.
  10. ^ "Survey says: Adil Pirbhai". Edmonton Journal. Postmedia Network. October 8, 2007. Archived from the original on October 30, 2013. Retrieved October 29, 2013.
  11. ^ Zabjek, Alexandra (October 13, 2007). "Vacancy draws lots of eager contenders to replace icon at city hall". Edmonton Journal. Postmedia Network. Archived from the original on May 30, 2015. Retrieved October 29, 2013.
  12. ^ "Survey Says: Chuck McKenna". Edmonton Journal. Postmedia Network. September 30, 2007. Archived from the original on January 21, 2014. Retrieved October 29, 2013.
  13. ^ Staples, David (May 11, 2012). "Sohi's LRT dream is right vision". Edmonton Journal. Postmedia Network. Archived from the original on October 30, 2013. Retrieved October 29, 2013.
  14. ^ "Survey Says: Tomas Dennis Vasquez". Edmonton Journal. Postmedia Network. September 30, 2007. Archived from the original on March 22, 2016. Retrieved October 29, 2013.