Does declaring candidacy for office early help?

YorkRegion.com
January 23, 2014
By Sean Pearce

 

 

And they’re off... sort of.

Most municipalities in York Region have had just a handful of candidates register for this year’s municipal election so far and anyone interested in running for office has until Sept. 12 to file their paperwork.

Still, with some already declaring their candidacy, a few even doing it the first day, Jan. 2, it begs the question: Is there an advantage to being first out of the gate?

It’s hard to say, York University political science professor Robert MacDermid said, as there hasn’t really been any research done on the impact of registering early versus declaring later.

Even so, it appears there are some advantages.

“The campaign is so long, but, at the same time, the sooner you register, the sooner you can start raising and spending money,” Mr. MacDermid said. “You’re in it at that point.”

As such, an early start could benefit people going up against an incumbent, as it gives them more time to raise money and get their names out there, he said. Many incumbents may not need to hit the campaign trail right away, as their profiles are already established and most will possess an existing roster of donors they can count on for support, he said.

Conversely, an incumbent could be well served by getting a jump on the campaign, as it could deter would-be challengers from coming forward, Mr. MacDermid explained. Running against an incumbent can be intimidating for newcomers, given the name recognition being a sitting council member brings, he said.

Occasionally, numerous people register for a single post, only for some to drop out once an incumbent declares their intention to run for re-election or a true contender emerges, Mr. MacDermid said. This phenomenon is most often witnessed in Toronto due to the greater prevalence of campaign polling data, he said.

Even so, it’s probably fair to say every candidate has their own reasons for declaring when they do.

First-time candidate in Newmarket’s Ward 6, Kelly Broome-Plumley, explained she gave plenty of thought toward running for election prior to registering Jan. 2. Declaring early simply seemed like the best way to let the community know who she was and get involved, she said.

“There wasn’t really any science behind it,” she said. “Registration opened that day for anyone interested in running, so I thought ‘That’s the day’, because this way my intentions are clear.”

Incumbent Vaughan Regional Councillor Deb Schulte also filed her paperwork early.

Ms Schulte submitted her papers Jan. 7 after numerous people in the community asked her about her intentions.

“Rather than keep people guessing, I decided to get my name in there,” she said. “There was no negative or reason not to do it.”

By the same token, just because she registered, it doesn’t mean she’s going to start campaigning tomorrow, she said. At the same time, if someone comes forward that wants to donate to her re-election bid or if she wants to host an event, she can choose to do so legally.

In any event, she looks forward to a decent, clean campaign and the opportunity to debate the issues that matter.