Calgary chooses Naheed Nenshi for mayor

CALGARY – Political newcomer Naheed Nenshi won a dramatic see-saw battle to become Calgary’s mayor Monday night, capping a stunning rise that saw the business professor climb from the pack’s fringes to the city’s top job.

Nenshi, 38, originally considered a long shot, defeated longtime alderman Ric McIver and former TV anchor Barb Higgins in a race that attracted voters in droves.

By midnight, Nenshi had opened a lead of more than 21,000 votes over second-place McIver, capturing about 39 per cent of the popular vote, compared with McIver at 32 per cent and Higgins at 26 per cent.

A son of immigrants who graduated from the prestigious American university of Harvard, Nenshi is Calgary’s first visible minority mayor. He has also become the first leader of Muslim faith to head a major Canadian city.

Nenshi addressed jubilant supporters moments after Higgins and McIver conceded.

"Today, Calgary is a different place than it was yesterday," Nenshi said late Monday.

"It’s a better place."

Political observers were stunned by his meteoric rise.

"It’s a Cinderella story," said Lori Williams, a political scientist at Mount Royal University. "A lot of people thought he was too different . . . I think, though, that this reflects the diversity of the city."

In a concession speech, an emotional McIver — the early front-runner — acknowledged he was heartbroken.

"I’m blown away," he told his supporters. "I’m disappointed, but you should all be proud of yourselves."

McIver urged his supporters and all Calgarians to wish Nenshi well, as did Higgins.

"Elections are about choices and I celebrate and wish Mr. Naheed Nenshi the best as he moves our city forward," Higgins said.

As the winner, Nenshi will usher in a new era for city council amid tumultuous economic times.

Calgary will have its first new mayor in nine years, replacing the retiring Dave Bronconnier. Fresh faces will also occupy at least five of the 14 aldermanic seats, with incumbent Linda Fox-Mellway losing to newcomer Peter Demong.

Nenshi’s passionate volunteers, many with tears in their eyes, hugged and shouted on as early poll results favoured their candidate.

"I’m feeling very proud," his mother Noorjah declared.

Heading into the municipal vote, opinion polls indicated the contest for mayor was neck and neck between McIver, Higgins, and Nenshi. They were the front-runners among a packed field of 15 candidates vying in the first open race for mayor since Bronconnier won the position in 2001.

Bronconnier, who hands over the reins next week, announced in February he wouldn’t seek a fourth term.

This mayoral contest proved to be a battle of opposites: the veteran alderman versus two political newcomers.

With a $60-million projected revenue shortfall facing Alberta’s largest city, McIver — who served on council for nine years — had argued Calgarians needed a boss with political experience.

Nenshi and Higgins, political rookies, painted McIver as part of the old guard, contending it was time for an outsider, a mayor with fresh eyes and new ideas.

Nenshi, a Mount Royal University business professor, portrayed himself as unsullied by the political game while holding a firm understanding of the ins and outs of city hall.

His popularity grew over the span of the four-week campaign, and emerged as a serious threat to McIver and Higgins in the final stretch.

At Nenshi’s headquarters in the basement of a building on Macleod Trail, his "Purple Revolution" theme echoed everywhere Monday night.

People were decked out with purple feather boas, and supporters cheered loudly with every positive result as he moved into the lead.

"Today is a great day for democracy," campaign director Chima Nkemdirim said.

A source of Nenshi’s momentum came from social media. He attracted young and urban voters — and obviously many others — with his prolific Tweeting and online posts.

He didn’t have the largest campaign war chest, but his campaign drew more than 800 volunteers and 10,000 Facebook friends.

"He appeals across the political spectrum," said volunteer Richard Einarson.

"There’s so many people who’ve said, ‘I’ve never voted before — I’ve never been excited to vote before.’ "

Former oilpatch executive Wayne Stewart, who bowed out of the race for mayor last week and endorsed Nenshi, visited the Nenshi headquarters around 8:45 p.m. He said the campaign has changed politics in Calgary forever.

"He represents the future," Stewart said, noting that Nenshi represents a young, more diverse growing part of Calgary.

"He’s asked me to be his mentor. And I intend to do that."

About a month ago, Nenshi sat well back in public opinion polls. However, his stunning rise in the past week forced McIver, a former meat salesman, to ditch plans to focus on an anti-Higgins attack.

With Bronconnier out of the race, McIver was widely perceived as the default front-runner. He remained so for months, until CTV anchor Higgins, 48, quit her job in July to enter an already-crowded contest. Her widespread name recognition helped vault her onto the leaderboard instantly.

During the campaign, Higgins branded herself as a fiscal conservative with a social heart. Although a city hall outsider, she has strong ties to the Calgary establishment, with a long history of chairing major charity campaigns.

For Calgary voters, Nenshi’s message resonated the loudest. He sold himself as the non-establishment candidate who would clean up city hall and begin a dialogue with Calgarians.

"The great gift of this campaign is the movement that we started," Nenshi said. "The Purple Army was never about winning an election. It was about revitalizing the public conversation in this city."