'Significant' number of acclamations not good for democracy: poli-sci prof

Nearly half of Cape Breton Regional Municipality's next council is already decided, along with a number of candidates in other municipalities on the island.

General elections are scheduled across Nova Scotia next month, but a large number of the positions on Cape Breton Island have been filled where candidates are running unchallenged.

In CBRM, five of 12 council seats will be represented by the incumbent councillors who ran unopposed.

Cape Breton University political scientist Tom Urbaniak said in one sense, that's not a surprise.

"It's very hard to challenge an incumbent in a large municipal district and we have large municipal districts in the CBRM," he said. "A sitting councillor can in effect campaign for four years simply by serving constituents … and this is true generally across the country, there's been research on this, the incumbency factor in municipal elections is very strong."

But Urbaniak said acclamations are likely not because people in CBRM are happy with the previous council.

"I don't hear that sentiment very often and in very many places, but it does suggest a kind of level of resignation, either that things won't change or maybe the particular councillor is doing a good job but has to operate in a system that doesn't function well, or if I try to run I would likely not be successful because the incumbent representing this large area has the name recognition."

He said the number of acclamations across the island might signal a problem for turnout in the Oct. 19 elections.

"It is a significant number and if that pattern continues, you have to be worried about voter animation."

Elsewhere on Cape Breton Island, three of six councillors are being returned unopposed in Inverness County and two of five went unchallenged in Richmond.

One candidate has been acclaimed in Victoria County.

Returning officer Blair Gallop said the lower number there is likely in part because the municipality ran a series of videos on its website urging people to run for office. They included the warden and deputy warden, who are not reoffering, and Gallop.

"We think they were seen out in the community and other messaging that we sent out helped push additional candidates here to run this time," he said.

Gallop said it also helped that five councillors were not reoffering.

It's hoped the videos might also help drive voter turnout, he said.

Cape Breton Island municipal candidates

CBRM

Mayor

Donnie Bacich
Cecil Clarke
James Edwards
Carla George
Vince Hall
Kevin MacEachern
Archie MacKinnon
Rankin MacSween
Joe Ward

District 1

Gordon MacDonald ACCLAIMED

District 2

Earlene MacMullin ACCLAIMED

District 3

Esmond Marshall
Glen Murrant
Michael Vickers
Tom Vickers

District 4

Steve Gillespie ACCLAIMED

District 5

Eldon MacDonald
Bennett MacIntyre

District 6

Glenn Paruch ACCLAIMED

District 7

Steve Parsons ACCLAIMED

District 8

Derrick Kennedy
Shawn Lesnick
Steven MacNeil

District 9

Kyron Coombes
David MacKeigan
Ken Tracey (incumbent)

District 10

Matthew Boyd
William Martin
Paul Nickituk

District 11

Darren O'Quinn (incumbent)
Louis Piovesan

District 12

Gary Borden
Lorne Green (incumbent)
Krys Maher
Kim Sheppard

INVERNESS COUNTY

District 1

Joeleen Larade
Christopher Poirier
Claude Poirier (incumbent)

District 2

Blair Phillips ACCLAIMED

District 3

Bonny MacIsaac ACCLAIMED

District 4

John MacLennan ACCLAIMED

District 5

Lynn Chisholm (incumbent)
Thom Oommen

District 6

John Dowling
Catherine Gillis (incumbent)

Conseil scolaire acadien provincial (CSAP) District of Inverness

Philippe Haché ACCLAIMED

VICTORIA COUNTY

District 1

Mary Louise Bernard
Cory MacLean
Donna Matheson-Lefort
Vera Pierro

District 2

Sandy Hudson
Perla MacLeod (incumbent)
Norman Matheson

District 3

Gary Crowder
Donald Green
Jess Kerr

District 4

Rosella Born
Steff MacLeod

District 5

Mike MacDonald
Fraser Patterson (incumbent)

District 6

Tim Donovan ACCLAIMED

District 7

Johnny Buchanan
Jackie Organ (incumbent)

District 8

Ricky Buchanan
Patterson Gray Rochon
Wanda Hennick
Amy MacKinnon

RICHMOND COUNTY

District 1

James Goyetche
Shawn Samson (incumbent)

District 2

Michael Diggdon (incumbent)
Lois Landry

District 3

Brian Marchand ACCLAIMED

District 4

Gilbert Boucher
Amanda Mombourquette (incumbent)

District 5

Brent Sampson ACCLAIMED

Conseil scolaire acadien provincial (CSAP) All of Richmond County and Town of Port Hawkesbury

Blair Samson ACCLAIMED

TOWN OF PORT HAWKESBURY

Mayor

Jason Aucoin
Brenda Chisholm-Beaton (incumbent)
Archie MacLachlan

Councillor (4 to be elected at large)

Todd Barrett
Mike Currie
Paula Hart
Iaian Langley
Donald MacDonald
Mark MacIver (incumbent)
Blaine MacQuarrie (incumbent)
Terry Matthews

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