“The Frugal Race: Examining Spending Results of 2022 BC Local Election”

Spending results are in for the 2022 BC local election and detail a frugal campaign at Sea to Sky.

According to financial disclosure statements released by Elections BC, Whistler’s three mayoral candidates, Jack Crompton, Marcus Culver and Brian Walker, spent and received no money during the October election. Crompton won by a clear majority, receiving 67 percent of the vote. The mayoral candidates were allowed to spend up to $15,031 on the campaign.

In the race for Whistler City Council, the candidates spent fairly sparingly, but significantly more than their mayoral peers. The race for Whistler’s six council seats was hotly contested as two incumbents opted not to run for re-election, opening the field to lesser-known candidates.

Of the council candidates, businessman Brendan Ladner spent the most on his campaign, spending twice as much as his nearest competitor. Ladner spent $5,180.15 and received 1,004 votes in his unsuccessful run, a little less than 600 votes to win a seat. Ladner’s campaign was notable for running almost entirely on the back of his e-bike and being the first campaign to put up signs in Whistler, prompting several other candidates to follow suit.

Ralph Forsyth spent the second highest with $2,718 and won re-election by 1,639 votes. Sarah Rush spent $2,226 and received 465 votes, followed by Cathy Jewett ($1,915, 2,262 votes), Jen Ford ($1,266, 2,198 votes), and Curtis Lapadat ($1,418, 562 votes).

First-time candidate Jessie Morden spent $1,249 and received 1,612 votes in her successful council bid, while the other non-incumbent first-time elected to the council, Jeff Murl, spent $818 and received 1,589 votes.

The expenditures of the remaining candidates were very different. Rhonda Millikin spent $1,075 (628 votes); Dawn Titus spent $763 (918 votes); Gabriel Pliska spent $197 (363 votes); and Gordon Jeffrey spent $45 (412 votes).

Arthur De Jong (re-elected for a second term), Melinda Lopez, Tina Pashumati James and Anthony Butt, who resigned after the letter fell and failed to remove his name from the list of candidates, spent zero dollars on their campaigns. The candidates received 2,179, 663, 426, and zero votes, respectively. In total, Whistler’s candidates received $17,950.69 in donations and spent $19,291.92.

Pemberton

Up in Pemberton, the mayoral candidates were spending significantly more than their Whistler counterparts when a bitter three-way battle ensued in the fast-growing Spud Valley village. Mayoral candidates accounted for 87 percent — $5,085 out of $5,779 — of total local election spending.

The lion’s share of spending came from former Pemberton Councilor and owner of Pemberton Valley Lodge, David MacKenzie. MacKenzie spent $3,254 on his unsuccessful bid and received 303 votes.

Chadi Abouhalka was next, spending $1,135 en route to 34 votes. Mayor Mike Richman spent the least and received the most votes in his re-election bid, spending $696 and receiving 543 votes

The frontrunner in the race for Pemberton’s four council seats was first-time candidate Laura Ramsden, who spent $380 (559 votes), followed by Jennie Helmer ($289; 748 votes). Incumbent councilor Ted Craddock spent $25 on his successful bid for re-election and received 567 votes, while newcomer Katrina Nightingale spent zero dollars and received 587 votes.

school district 48

Only minor expenditures were made in the election of the local school trustee. Only three of the 11 candidates in District 48 spent money on the campaign: Margo Vaughan in Area C, who spent $323 on her unsuccessful challenge of longtime trustee Rebecca Barley; Whistler Trustee Cynthia Higgins, who won re-election by 1,527 votes and spent $40; and April Lowe of Squamish, who spent $231 and was elected by acclamation.

squamous–Lillooet regional district

The four Squamish-Lillooet Regional Council constituency candidates spent zero dollars as all four directors were celebrated and no campaigning was required.

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