While five candidates initially filed papers to run in Crossfield’s October byelection, the field has narrowed to three, after Mike Perry and Frank Wallace dropped out of the race.
Basic math tells us that of the candidates, only one will be unsuccessful. With such a small pool, it appears this byelection won’t be a case of two people winning a seat on council as much as it will be a case of one person losing.
In our coverage of the candidates so far, we’ve noticed similarities in their campaigns and platforms. In interviews for candidate profiles, all three noted council transparency and accountability as a priority. At a candidate's forum held Sept. 22, the three sometimes piggy-backed off the person who spoke before them and reiterated each other's answers. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it does make it harder for residents to determine who is most qualified and inspires the most confidence.
Crossfield is a small town and each candidate will surely know many of the people they are lobbying for votes. Elections in small communities sometimes have the unintended consequence of turning into a popularity contest, with the candidate who has the most friends ultimately being successful. Despite that, we do hope Crossfield residents take more than their personal relationships into account.
In the coming three weeks, Kim Harris, Justin Gustafson and Jo Lambert will each have to distinguish themselves from each other. They’ll need to convey to residents of Crossfield what sets them apart and why, ultimately, they deserve to be elected to Town council.
We hope the Rocky View Weekly will help the candidates set themselves apart. Beginning this week, we will pose a question each week for them to answer. We hope our Crossfield-based readers will find this helpful as they decide who to cast their ballot for Oct. 19.
