Which of the following comes closest to your view on political parties at the municipal level?
Taproot Survey
Where do you stand on issues raised by voters in the 2025 municipal election?
Context:
The provincial government introduced parties and slates to Edmonton and Calgary's municipal elections with bills 20 and 50. Registered parties may now fundraise as much as individual candidates, and they can distribute money amongst party candidates for mayor and council however they see fit, giving party candidates a distinct financial advantage over independents. More than 70% of Albertans surveyed by the province, as well as Alberta Municipalities, have opposed parties and slates being allowed into municipal elections. As of Sept. 5, Edmonton has two registered municipal parties: Better Edmonton, and Principled Accountable Coalition for Edmonton (PACE).
Candidate responses
A total of 74 candidates have responded to the survey. Here's how they answered this question:
a) Members of council should be free from party affiliation.
Candidates that selected this response:
Ali Al Kassab Councillor
Candidate in
Anirniq
Sara Awatta Councillor
Candidate in
pihêsiwin
Jason Bale Councillor
Candidate in
Karhiio
Imran Bashir Councillor
Candidate in
Sspomitapi
Ronald Stewart Billingsley, Jr Mayor
Candidate in
City Wide
Tony Caterina Mayor
Candidate in
City Wide
Farhan Chak Councillor
Candidate in
tastawiyiniwak
Annie Chua - Frith Councillor
Candidate in
Sspomitapi
Abdul Malik Chukwudi Mayor
Candidate in
City Wide
Abdulhakim Dalel Councillor
Candidate in
Métis
Ramey Demian Councillor
Candidate in
Ipiihkoohkanipiaohtsi
Vanessa Denman Mayor
Candidate in
City Wide
Giselle Quezon General Councillor
Candidate in
sipiwiyiniwak
Stephen Hammerschmidt Councillor
Candidate in
O-day'min
Danny Heikkinen Councillor
Candidate in
sipiwiyiniwak
Terrie Holgerson Councillor
Candidate in
papastew
Jimmy Clement Idi Councillor
Candidate in
tastawiyiniwak
Rahim Jaffer Mayor
Candidate in
City Wide
Rozalia Janiszewska Councillor
Candidate in
papastew
Michael Janz Councillor
Candidate in
papastew
Andrew Knack Mayor
Candidate in
City Wide
Roger Kotch Councillor
Candidate in
sipiwiyiniwak
Larry Langley Councillor
Candidate in
pihêsiwin
Jackie Liu Councillor
Candidate in
pihêsiwin
Rajah Maggay Councillor
Candidate in
Nakota Isga
James Miller Councillor
Candidate in
O-day'min
Omar Mohammad Mayor
Candidate in
City Wide
Jon Morgan Councillor
Candidate in
Ipiihkoohkanipiaohtsi
Joseph Mugodo Councillor
Candidate in
Nakota Isga
Utha Nadauk Mayor
Candidate in
City Wide
Funke Olokude Councillor
Candidate in
Ipiihkoohkanipiaohtsi
Lana Palmer Councillor
Candidate in
Dene
Aaron Paquette Councillor
Candidate in
Dene
Norm Paradis Councillor
Candidate in
Métis
Thu Parmar Councillor
Candidate in
sipiwiyiniwak
Rupesh Patel Councillor
Candidate in
pihêsiwin
Jennifer Porritt Councillor
Candidate in
tastawiyiniwak
Atiq Rehman Councillor
Candidate in
Karhiio
Erin Rutherford Councillor
Candidate in
Anirniq
Ashley Salvador Councillor
Candidate in
Métis
Sandeep Singh Councillor
Candidate in
Sspomitapi
Anne Stevenson Councillor
Candidate in
O-day'min
Patrick Stewart Councillor
Candidate in
O-day'min
Ashok Sui Councillor
Candidate in
Sspomitapi
Keren Tang Councillor
Candidate in
Karhiio
Olney Tugwell Mayor
Candidate in
City Wide
Aggripa Wajo Councillor
Candidate in
Anirniq
Michael Walters Mayor
Candidate in
City Wide
Jesse Watson Councillor
Candidate in
Anirniq
Jordon Woodruff Councillor
Candidate in
Nakota Isga
Jo-Anne Wright Councillor
Candidate in
Sspomitapi
b) Parties will help council be more effective.
Candidates that selected this response:
Fidel Ammar Councillor
Candidate in
tastawiyiniwak
Joti Buttar Councillor
Candidate in
Karhiio
Josh Doyle Councillor
Candidate in
papastew
Michael Elliott Councillor
Candidate in
pihêsiwin
Rob Fediuk Councillor
Candidate in
Anirniq
Mark Hillman Councillor
Candidate in
papastew
Albert Mazzocca Councillor
Candidate in
Dene
Fahad Mughal Councillor
Candidate in
Ipiihkoohkanipiaohtsi
Nicholas Rheubottom Councillor
Candidate in
Ipiihkoohkanipiaohtsi
Banisha Sandhu Councillor
Candidate in
Dene
Diana Steele Councillor
Candidate in
Nakota Isga
Justin Thomas Councillor
Candidate in
Métis
Steve van Diest Councillor
Candidate in
Sspomitapi
c) The existence of parties will have little effect.
Candidates that selected this response:
Paul Bakhmut Mayor
Candidate in
City Wide
Nurmaiya Brady Councillor
Candidate in
Anirniq
Tim Cartmell Mayor
Candidate in
City Wide
Reed Clarke Councillor
Candidate in
Nakota Isga
Harman Singh Kandola Councillor
Candidate in
Sspomitapi
d) I don't have a position on this issue
Candidates that selected this response:
James Gosse Councillor
Candidate in
Métis
Andy Andrzej Gudanowski Mayor
Candidate in
City Wide
Caroline Matthews Councillor
Candidate in
Métis
Voter responses
Based on more than 27,000 responses as of Nov. 10, 2025, here's how voters answered this question:
Overall
By ward
Note: Taproot excluded surveys with fewer than two answers from these results. It was possible for voters to fill out the survey multiple times, but unlikely at a large scale given the structure of the survey. Voters were not able to select "I don't have a position on this issue".
Taproot Survey
Where do you stand on issues raised by voters in the 2025 municipal election?