Calgary’s civic election comes down to tight battle between Farkas and Sharp

The polls closed at 8 p.m. on Monday, and the results of the Calgary civic election started to come in a couple of hours later.

But as of midnight, there was still no clear winner.

The latest results showed Jeromy Farkas was in the lead with 75,123 votes.

Sonya Sharp sat in second place with 73,957 votes.

And incumbent Jyoti Gondek sat in third with 58,274 votes.

This is the second time Farkas is running for mayor.

In 2021, after serving as a councillor, he ran for the spot, placing second behind Gondek.

Win or lose this time, shortly after 11 p.m. on Monday, Farkas offered “a thank you to all Calgarians.”

“We’re pushing hard. We’re seeing great numbers behind the scenes, and we’re going to be here as long as it takes to hopefully get the results tonight,” he told CTV News.

“I think Calgarians have recognized that our campaign was the only one that could unseat a sitting mayor but also stop a political party takeover of city council.”

As far as Farkas’s main competition was concerned, there was plenty of counting left to change things.

“It’s not over and I’m going to remain optimistic,” Sharp said.

Sharp is likewise running for mayor after serving as a councillor.

She would also be the first Calgary mayor to front a party—Communities First.

Gondek said while the evening didn’t go how she and her supporters had hoped, she was still holding her head high.

“I’m standing here very proud of what we have built together, and I am profoundly grateful for the privilege of having served this city—the best city in the world,” she said.

Elections Calgary says more than 202,000 people cast ballots on Monday.

Political analyst Lori Williams noted the closeness of the race.

She also noted the relatively low voter turnout.

“That’s a tough mandate to carry forward. There’s going to be a lot of pressure not just on the mayor but on council to try to work together and respond to those Calgarians that were confused, dissatisfied, looking for solutions to tough problems,” she said.

“I think leadership is going to be very difficult for whoever the successful candidate is. It’ll be a real test of their leadership skills.”

While 46 per cent of voting stations reported wait times of 20 minutes or less, many Calgarians found themselves in line for more than an hour to cast their ballots.

The returning officer said counting would continue at the Big Four building at Stampede Park until 1 a.m.

Elections Calgary and municipalities across Alberta warned that there would be delays because of changes made by the provincial government.

A new provincial requirement means every voter must fill out a statement of eligibility form.

It’s a declaration that they meet the legislated criteria to receive and cast ballots.

The forms are filled out by hand, which is what led to long lines and delays.

And this time around, the counting of votes has to be done by hand because the province has banned the use of electronic tabulators.

Not only does counting votes by hand take more time, but it’s also adding more than $3 million to the cost of the election.

In a statement to CTV News, the province blamed municipalities for voting and counting delays, saying they had ample time to prepare.

It also said legislation and regulations are reviewed after every municipal election to identify if any improvements need to be made.

The next two most-voted candidates for mayor were Jeff Davison, who as of midnight had 38,116 votes, and Brian Thiessen, who as of midnight had 32,036 votes.

“Tonight, the results aren’t what we hoped for, but my overwhelming feeling is gratitude,” Thiessen said.

“We may not have won the mayor’s chair, but we’ve built something real—a movement of citizens who believe city hall must put Calgarians first. That doesn’t end tonight.”

Full election results can be found here as they come in.