Tool kit to help first-time election candidates

By Mamta Manhas

A new initiative to help first-time political candidates have a better chance in the next local elections is launching in Ottawa.

DemocracyKit, a shared resource package, will provide city council and school board trustee hopefuls with funding plans, online skill-building courses, accessible digital tools and more.

The project, started by Toronto-based organization Open Democracy Project, seeks to correct a perceived problem in Canadian politics. According to the organization, incumbents win 92 per cent of elections in three of the largest cities across Canada.

Campaign costs and incumbents’ pre-existing connections in the community make it difficult for new candidates, who may lack these advantages, to compete effectively for school trustee positions or municipal council seats.

DemocracyKit wants to change that.

“We want to make it more accessible for people to explore campaigns and prepare for a race,” said Chris Cowperthwaite, co-founder of the initiative.

In 2014, Cowperthwaite worked with 17 municipal campaigns in British Columbia and Ontario. He found that new candidates had difficulty canvassing, understanding campaign laws and raising funds. These difficulties prompted him and his team to create a shareable public campaign full of tools and knowledge about politics.

The project has already launched in Toronto and Calgary.

Catherine Fortin LeFaivre, who ran as a first-time candidate in the Rideau-Vanier ward in 2014, thinks DemocracyKit is a step in the right direction.

She said she faced difficulties raising funds and fighting the stigma around being a woman in politics. The latter issue is one DemocracyKit wants to address, as its website points out that men have made up 72 per cent of councillors elected in Canada’s largest three cities over the past decade.

However, LeFaivre thinks DemocracyKit is just a starting point. “If we want to see more diversity to represent Ottawa, then we need community leaders and business leaders to support candidates.”

Despite their incumbent status, both Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson and Somerset Coun. Catherine McKenney have come out in support of DemocracyKit.

McKenney said in a statement that she supports DemocracyKit for encouraging more diversity in Ottawa’s municipal politics and giving resources to first-time candidates. She will also be speaking at the launch event on April 5.

DemocracyKit will launch at MediaStyle on 131 Bank St. in Centretown.

Cowperthwaite said he’s bringing DemocracyKit to Ottawa because of its bilingual and civic-minded population.

DemocracyKit relies heavily on donations of material from past municipal campaigns to provide resources for kit users. Cowperthwaite said that no matter how small, any bit of information helps. “Most people we talk to can think of something to give. It could be documents like a tip sheet,” he said.

“It’s really hard to go against an incumbent,” said LeFaivre. “Running can be difficult if you don’t have the manpower to put up signs or create web releases, but DemocracyKit could help with that.”

She thinks that best-practices toolkits can only go so far when the support from high-profile community leaders is lacking.

But many first time candidates don’t win on the first try. “Just getting into the game and challenging the incumbents helps to change the discussion on policies,” she said.

Cowperthwaite says the main goal of the launch party is for locals to learn more about the project and also to have a chance to network. There will be various stations focused on campaign essentials, including social media outreach and video production, as well as a place to set up a DemocracyKit profile.