What’s next for Calgary’s municipal political parties?
Global News
Calgarians elected six city councillors who affiliated with a party during the 2025 election campaign including four candidates from the Communities First party.
A week after Calgary’s municipal election, there remain questions around the future of the local political parties established ahead of this year’s vote.
Three municipal political parties emerged in Calgary after provincial legislation introduced last year allowed parties as a pilot project in Calgary and Edmonton.
“Voters did not wholeheartedly reject political parties in municipal politics, some party candidates were elected. But also they didn’t wholeheartedly embrace political parties,” said Jack Lucas, a professor of political science at the University of Calgary.
Six of Calgary’s 14 incoming city councillors were affiliated with a political party during the campaign, including four with Communities First and one each for The Calgary Party and A Better Calgary Party.
Eight elected and re-elected candidates as well as Calgary’s mayor-elect, Jeromy Farkas, ran as independents.
“I have to work alongside a council that was chosen by Calgarians and I’m able to do that because I ran as an independent,” Farkas said during this victory speech last week.
Ward 10 Coun. Andre Chabot and Ward 13 Coun. Dan McLean were re-elected under the Communities First banner, along with party candidates Kim Tyres elected in Ward 1 and Rob Ward elected in Ward 11.
According to Chabot, the future of the Communities First party will be decided by its members with the elected officials staying out of it.
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