Bowman’s bid for mayor cost $180,000; donations nearly surpassed veteran opponent

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This article was published 16/07/2015 (3761 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Rookie politician Brian Bowman managed to raise more in campaign donations than veteran politician Gord Steeves, and nearly outdid former NDP MP Judy Wasylycia-Leis in last year’s mayoral election.

Although she was the runner-up in the fall election, Wasylycia-Leis outspent her opponents, spending $215,000 on her second failed bid for the mayor’s chair. She also outspent her competitors in advertisements, spending about $100,000, compared with Bowman’s $45,000.

Former privacy lawyer Bowman’s hard-won battle for the mayor’s chair cost $187,000, according to audited financial statements released by the city on Thursday. However, he managed to raise $200,000, about $50,000 more than fellow right-leaning candidate Steeves.

The statements include a full list of donors for every mayoral and council candidate.

When asked for the secret to procuring donations, Bowman replied in a prepared statement, through his spokeswoman, that it is about hard work.

“The secret was simple hard work, doing grassroots outreach and meeting Winnipeggers,” Bowman said. “I had a Fit Bit and I clocked walking 280 kilometres in June just by walking through neighbourhoods. Generous donations of time and financial support are immensely valuable to any candidate’s success, and the most important part of the strategy was working hard, getting out around the city, and listening to as many Winnipeggers as possible.”

Steeves last to release expenses

Campaign donations become a hot-button topic in the mayoral race after candidate Paula Havixbeck announced she would release her campaign contributions before Winnipeggers headed to the polls on Oct. 22, in the interest of transparency. She also said she would refuse donations from any company or developer named in the three scathing real estate audits that were released last year.

Bowman, Wasylycia-Leis and candidate Robert-Falcon Ouellette followed suit and subsequently released their lists last fall.

Steeves was the only holdout, refusing to release his list ahead of time.

According to his expense statements, Steeves raised $149,000 through donations.

Although he came in third, Ouellette both raised and spent significantly less than his fellow candidates, raising only $52,000 in monetary contributions; almost $100,000 less than Steeves, who finished a distant fourth.

Curtis Brown, vice-president of Probe Research in Winnipeg, noted while spending on campaigns can help secure victory at the polls, a mayoral race is more complex than running provincially or federally.

“If you are a mayoral candidate, you have to reach and advertise to an entire city and you have to get support of the entire city, which is different if you are running as an MLA with a constituency of 20-25,000 people,” he said. “You have to spend money on advertisements, which can make a big difference, but at the same time, advertisement isn’t everything. You can spend a lot but it isn’t necessarily going to translate into support.”

kristin.annable@freepress.mb.ca

— with files from Bartley Kives

Some notable Winnipeggers who donated to mayoral candidates

Mayor Brian Bowman

Raised $200,451

Spent: $187,497; Advertising expenses: $45,000; Signs: $28,000

Gary Filmon (former premier): $500

Mark Chipman (Chairman of True North Sports & Entertainment): $1,500

Barry Shenkarow (former Jets owner): $750

Dave Angus (Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce president): $1,500

Judy Wasylycia-Leis

Raised $215,870

Spent: $215,870 Advertising expenses: $96,000 Brochures: $10,000 Signs: $19,000

Mike Davidson (CUPE Local 500 President): $1,000

Paul Moist (CUPE National President): $1,000,

NDP Assiniboia MLA Jim Rondeau: $250

Ralph Borger (member of prominent Ladco family): $1,250, along with 14 other members of Borger family (Ladco): $250 each

Gord Steeves

Raised $149,725

Spent: $149,681 (Signs: $4,000; Advertising expenses: $68,000; Brochures: $38,000

Robert Shindleman (Shindico Realty chief operating officer): $1,500

Gail Asper (President of Asper Foundation): $1,000

Arni Thorsteinson (Real estate developer): $1,500

Sabino Tummillo (Former owner of Teasers, prominent Winnipeg business owner): $750

Robert-Falcon Ouellette

Raised $52,000

Spent: $64,710; Advertisement expenses: $20,000; Signs: $9,000; Brochures: $4,600

Michael Nesbitt (Chairman and president, Montrose Mortgage Corp.): $1,500

Scott Rose (Owner of Winmar Winnipeg) $1,500

Ida Albo (co-owner of Fort Garry Hotel): $750

(*Note: the maximum a person can donate is $1,500)