The candidates vying to become the mayor of Saskatoon in the upcoming civic election will have to fight to get noticed, according to a political expert.
University of Saskatchewan professor Joe Garcea told Global News the candidates will struggle to be heard with so many other political contests taking place.
“There are so many elections, and potentially even other elections, that are going to be distracting and they’re going to be fighting for attention,” he said, speaking over Zoom.
Saskatoon residents are scheduled to vote for their next city councillors and mayor on Nov. 9.
Saskatchewan’s provincial election will take place on or before Oct. 26, about two weeks earlier, ensuring Saskatoon will be awash in political ads and lawn signs.
And the American election, one of the most expensive political contests on the planet, takes place between those two dates on Nov. 3.
On top of all of that, Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet has vowed to try to force an election this fall if Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, his chief of staff Katie Telford and Finance Minister Bill Morneau do not resign over their roles in the WE charity scandal.
Garcea said it will be a challenge for the candidates to garner attention and convey their message during such a crowded political calendar.
“They better define themselves or they will be defined by others,” he said.
“The media will begin to look at exactly who they are… (and) will begin to construct a narrative that may well influence the kind of vote and support that they get from individuals.”
Garcea said the similar platforms will also make it harder for voters to sort out the candidates.
Each has their own solution or have hinted they know what needs to be done to lead Saskatoon and its residents through the post-COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown.
Self-employed planner Cary Tarasoff, the latest candidate to declare his intent to sit in the mayor’s chair, is promising to cut the city’s $331 million debt by halting major projects.
Engineer Zubair Sheikh said he will attract more investors to the city and not raise taxes during the four-year term.
Neither incumbent Mayor Charlie Clark nor former Saskatchewan Party minister Rob Norris have released their full platform yet, but Norris promised more jobs and a more affordable city.
Those were central tenets of Clark’s winning 2016 mayoral platform.
Clark, who has served on city council for 16 years as a councillor and mayor, said he will only start campaigning in September so he can continue to guide the city through the pandemic.
“There are a lot of similarities in the platforms and, from a platform standpoint, I think all the declared candidates… are going to have some difficulty (having voters) distinguish (between) them,” Garcea said.
He added that candidates may be tempted to make bold promises to rise above the fray, which is as likely to hurt their chances as it is to help.
With files from David Giles, Anna MacMillan and Ryan Kessler.
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