Fragile Progress: Reflections from the 2025 Municipal Elections
On October 20, Alberta voted in municipal elections across the province. Coming into this election, Ask Her had set a goal to see gender equity on Calgary and Edmonton city councils. It’s these two cities, and their surrounding communities, where we operate programming, events, and advocacy in pursuit of gender representation in elected leadership.
We didn’t quite achieve our goal.
While we are thrilled that Edmonton was able to maintain the majority-women council they first saw in 2021, with 7 of 12 councillors identifying as women, the result in Calgary looks markedly different. Just 2 of 14 Calgary city councillors are women, a drop from 4 women councillors elected in 2021, plus our first woman mayor.
This is a reminder that progress can not be taken for granted.
Over the coming weeks, Ask Her will be looking at the numbers and unpacking the lessons from municipal elections across the province. For now, we’re sharing some initial reflections and celebrating those in our Ask Her community who put their names on the ballot.
Election Reflections
In Calgary, it’s tough to go from the record-setting representation we saw in 2021 to the lowest gender representation we’ve seen in decades. Yet, comparing this outcome to the sustained representation in Edmonton allows for some interesting reflections.
Voter turnout was low in both cities. There has been discussion regarding what may have led to this. No matter the cause, a disengaged voter base is a problem. Despite the differing outcomes for women candidates in Calgary and Edmonton, we know that to reach and maintain equitable representation, we need all voters to feel empowered to participate.
The introduction of political parties in this election also provided some insights. As we’ve discussed before, there are benefits for women running with a party, including increased fundraising opportunities and shared resources across campaigns. In both cities, we saw more independent candidates elected than party candidates, possibly signalling an aversion to parties at the municipal level.
Lastly, the fate of incumbents was quite different between the cities. Edmonton saw the majority of incumbents hold onto their seats, including 6 women. In Calgary, only 3 incumbents are returning to City Hall. It’s reasonable to conclude this speaks more to differences in the local policy landscape and an overall desire for change than a lack of support for women candidates.
Points of Pride
There was a lot to be proud of in this election.
Women continue to put their names on the ballot. In Calgary, there were 23 women across 12 of 14 wards and the mayor’s seat. This is similar to the 25 we saw across 13 wards and the mayoral race in the 2021 election. In Edmonton, there were 24 women or gender-diverse people running across all 12 wards and for mayor, only a few behind the 27 who ran in 2021 across all but one ward. This is an important key indicator that shows women’s interest in political leadership has not materially slowed.
We are especially proud of the 12 alumni of our programming that signed up to run across Edmonton, Calgary and surrounding communities. Prepare Her 2021 graduate, Heather Spearman, won her mayoral race in Airdrie, and Michelle Walther, a Prepare Her 2024 graduate, was elected to the Okotoks Town Council. There were several other close races in Calgary with our alumni putting up a good fight. Ward 1 in Calgary resulted in Joey Nowak (Prepare Her 2023 graduate) in second place. Similarly, in Ward 8, Cornelia Wiebe (Prepare Her 2021 graduate) also placed second. The result in Ward 12 with Sarah Ferguson (Prepare Her 2021 graduate) was so close it warranted a recount that found Sarah just 59 votes behind now councillor Mike Jamieson.
Women’s roles in this election also went beyond the candidate. According to Ask Her survey respondents, the majority of campaign teams were made up of 50% or more women. We know women are leading the way as campaign managers, communications directors, volunteer coordinators, and more. It’s important to recognize the behind the scenes impact of women in politics, along with those whose names are on the signs.
The Work Continues
Even in an election with uneven outcomes, one thing remains unmistakable: women and gender-diverse people across Alberta continue to show extraordinary courage by stepping into public life. Running for office, especially in the face of persistent barriers, scrutiny, and imbalance, is an act of leadership that deserves to be recognized and celebrated.
The results of these elections may remind us how fragile progress can be, but the women and gender-diverse people who put their names forward remind us of something stronger: that change is driven by those who offer their ideas, their time, and their leadership to their communities. As we look ahead, we do so with gratitude for every woman or gender-diverse individual who stepped forward this cycle, and a renewed commitment to supporting those on the path to political leadership.