Share this Story : Edmonton Journal Copy Link Email X Reddit Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr

Keith Gerein: Big money led to big disappointment in Edmonton's city council election

We all know that wealth doesn’t guarantee wins, but usually there is a reasonably strong correlation. Except that didn’t happen last fall, when the campaign that spent by far the most was defeated by a Knack campaign with less than one-sixth of the resources.

You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.

In elections, as in hockey, they don’t ask how, they just ask how many.

Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.

Exclusive articles by David Staples, Keith Gerein and others, Oilers news from Cult of Hockey, Ask EJ Anything features, the Noon News Roundup and Under the Dome newsletters.

Unlimited online access to Edmonton Journal and 15 news sites with one account.

Edmonton Journal ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.

Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.

Support local journalism.

Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.

Exclusive articles by David Staples, Keith Gerein and others, Oilers news from Cult of Hockey, Ask EJ Anything features, the Noon News Roundup and Under the Dome newsletters.

Unlimited online access to Edmonton Journal and 15 news sites with one account.

Edmonton Journal ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.

Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.

Support local journalism.

Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.

Access articles from across Canada with one account.

Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.

Enjoy additional articles per month.

Get email updates from your favourite authors.

Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.

Access articles from across Canada with one account

Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments

Enjoy additional articles per month

Get email updates from your favourite authors

Sign In or Create an Account

Campaign game-planning, stick-handling of issues, attack strategies, pressure tactics — these things are ultimately for analytical wonks, whereas most people only care who gets the most votes.

And that is perhaps how Mayor Andrew Knack and several city councillors may want to look at last year’s unusual Edmonton municipal election, in which spending power and vote generation did not particularly align.

Obviously we all know that wealth doesn’t guarantee wins — sometimes it can even be seen as a vice — but usually there is a reasonably strong correlation, as money can buy a lot of ads, name recognition and sophisticated campaign help. That’s typically been the pattern in........

© Edmonton Journal