Edmonton held its municipal election on October 20, 2025 — the second under the Indigenous-language ward system adopted in 2020. Incumbent mayor Amarjeet Sohi, elected in 2021, did not seek re-election after announcing earlier in the year that he would run as the Liberal candidate in Edmonton Southeast in the 2025 federal election. Sohi lost that race and returned to complete his mayoral term, but confirmed he would not stand for a second term at city hall. The open mayoral seat attracted 13 candidates. Turnout was 30.27%, with 205,758 of 679,830 eligible voters casting ballots — the lowest since 2007 and a significant drop from the 37.6% recorded in 2021. The election was the first in Edmonton to feature registered municipal political parties, made possible by the provincial government's Bill 20. Two parties fielded candidates: Better Edmonton, led by mayoral candidate Tim Cartmell, and the Principled Accountable Coalition for Edmonton (PACE). Bill 20 also banned electronic tabulators, forcing a return to hand-counted ballots that added an estimated $4.8 million to election costs and caused significant delays in reporting results. Labour shortages, power outages, and technology issues at polling stations compounded the problems, with some locations remaining open two hours past the 8 p.m. closing time to accommodate long lines. A concurrent Canada Post strike prevented the city from mailing voter information cards, further disrupting the process.

Mayoral Race

Andrew Knack won decisively with 61,102 votes (37.7%), becoming Edmonton's 37th mayor. Tim Cartmell placed second with 47,382 votes (28.7%), followed by Michael Walters with 18,866 votes (11.8%), Omar Mohammad with 15,885 votes (10.8%), and Rahim Jaffer with 7,620 votes (4.3%). The remaining eight candidates — Paul Bakhmut, Ronald Stewart Billingsley Jr., Tony Caterina, Abdul Malik Chukwudi, Vanessa Denman, Andy Andrzej Gudanowski, Utha Nadauk, and Olney Tugwell — collectively received under 7% of the vote. Knack's margin of victory over Cartmell was approximately 13,720 votes.

Mayoral Candidates

Andrew Knack grew up in Spruce Grove and graduated from the University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Commerce in 2006. Before entering politics, he worked in retail management. After an unsuccessful council bid in 2010, Knack was elected to represent Ward 1 (later renamed Nakota Isga) in 2013 at age 29. He was re-elected in 2017 and 2021, serving three terms on council. Throughout his time at city hall, Knack led initiatives on transportation innovation, public engagement, and seniors' issues, and served on the Edmonton Transit System Advisory Board, the Accessibility Advisory Committee, and the Edmonton Public Library Board of Trustees. He launched his independent mayoral campaign on May 22, 2025, positioning himself as a steady, experienced hand who understood city operations from the inside.

Tim Cartmell graduated from the University of Alberta in 1988 and holds credentials as a Professional Engineer (P.Eng.), Master of Engineering (M.Eng.), Project Management Professional (PMP), and ICD.D. He owned and operated Lemtra Projects, a consulting engineering firm specializing in structural design, forensic investigations, and project management, for nearly 25 years. He also worked for Alberta's Treasury Board. Cartmell was first elected to Edmonton City Council in 2017 representing Ward pihesiwin, winning re-election in 2021 with 81% of the vote. In November 2024, he announced his mayoral candidacy, and on May 1, 2025, he launched Better Edmonton — the first municipal political party to field both a mayoral candidate and a full slate of council candidates in all 12 wards. His campaign raised approximately $834,000, roughly half of all campaign contributions reported across mayoral candidates. Cartmell pledged to address infrastructure backlogs and fiscal accountability.

Michael Walters served two terms on Edmonton City Council from 2013 to 2021 before stepping away from public office to run a small business downtown and co-found a foundation to get children involved in sports. Prior to entering politics, he spent 20 years as a community organizer and policy leader, including work at the Bissell Centre, for which he received the Queen's Jubilee Medal in 2000. He was named one of Edmonton's Top 40 Under 40 by Avenue Magazine in 2009. Before launching his mayoral campaign, he was working at communication agency Berlin. Walters ran on a platform of affordability, increased housing, fairer taxes, safety, and stronger partnerships with the provincial government and police service.

Omar Mohammad was born at Edmonton's Misericordia Hospital in 1978 and is a pediatric dental surgeon who has served the city's youngest patients since 2016. His earlier career included stints as a newspaper carrier, mechanic, filmmaker, educator, and business owner. Mohammad sold his established dental practice to dedicate himself fully to the mayoral race. He has participated in 11 international dental missions providing free care and raised millions through charity auctions. His campaign leaned heavily on social media and humour, with viral campaign videos designed to engage younger voters. He ran as an independent outsider, drawing on personal experience with housing insecurity earlier in his life.

Rahim Jaffer was born in 1971 and came to Edmonton as a child after his family emigrated from Uganda. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science and economics from the University of Ottawa and later completed an MBA at the University of Alberta. Jaffer was elected to the House of Commons in 1997 as the Reform Party MP for Edmonton—Strathcona at age 25, becoming the first Muslim elected to the Canadian Parliament. He served four terms before losing his seat to NDP candidate Linda Duncan in 2008. After nearly two decades out of public life — during which he operated a business on Whyte Avenue and raised his son — Jaffer entered the mayoral race running on fiscal restraint and support for small business.

Campaign Issues

LRT and Transit: Edmonton's $4.4 billion Valley Line expansion continued to dominate civic debate. The Valley Line Southeast, opened in late 2023, was carrying roughly 9,000 to 9,300 daily riders — far short of the 31,500 originally projected by Infrastructure Canada. Quality-of-construction concerns, design errors, and slower-than-expected tram-style operations frustrated commuters. The 14-kilometre Valley Line West extension, under construction since 2021 with a projected completion date of 2028, caused significant traffic disruptions along 87 Avenue and 102 Avenue. Transit safety was also a growing concern, with only 61% of riders reporting they felt safe throughout their last trip.

Housing and Homelessness: The number of people experiencing homelessness in Edmonton reached approximately 5,000, according to 2024 data from Homeward Trust. The city dismantled nearly 9,500 encampments in 2024 at a cost of roughly $5.8 million. Since 2021, the number of daytime shelter spaces had declined sharply, leaving more people in public spaces and intensifying friction between housed residents and those without stable accommodation. Candidates debated a range of proposals including vacant land taxes, mid-block row housing limits, and incentives for three-bedroom units.

Public Safety and Downtown Vitality: Business owners and residents in the city core reported that crime and disorder were severe enough to drive people away. The visibility of homelessness in central areas, combined with incidents on transit, fuelled calls for increased police presence and investment in social programs. Downtown property values had fallen significantly, with the downtown area's share of Edmonton's municipal tax base dropping to 5.2% from a 2010 peak of 10.1%.

Property Taxes and Fiscal Management: Council approved a 6.1% property tax increase for 2025 — down from an initially proposed 8.1% — bringing the average property tax bill to approximately $3,660 for a home assessed at $450,000. The increase included $3.1 million for the City Centre Optimization project targeting graffiti, garbage, and sidewalk maintenance. Fiscal accountability and the pace of tax increases were central issues for Cartmell, Jaffer, and the PACE party.

Council Races

Eight of the nine incumbents who sought re-election were returned, making this a notably stable council cycle compared to 2021's wave of change. Four newcomers were elected — two in open seats created by departures and two by defeating or replacing sitting councillors.

In Ward Nakota Isga, left vacant when Knack launched his mayoral bid, newcomer Reed Clarke of Better Edmonton won with 6,177 votes (35.8%). Clarke, the founder of Ross Flats Vintage Apparel and former CEO of the Edmonton Stingers basketball club and Sport Edmonton, edged challenger Rajah Maggay by about 3.5 percentage points in a multi-candidate field.

In Ward pihesiwin, opened up by Cartmell's mayoral run, Michael Elliott of Better Edmonton won with 8,054 votes (41.2%) over pharmacist Jackie Liu's roughly 31%. Elliott, born in outport Newfoundland, served as a pilot and officer in the Royal Canadian Air Force before joining the Edmonton Police Service in 2005 and rising to staff sergeant. He was a past president of the Edmonton Police Association and received the Order of Merit of the Police Forces from the Governor General.

The most dramatic result came in Ward sipiwiyiniwak, vacated by two-term councillor Sarah Hamilton's retirement. Initial results showed Better Edmonton's Darrell Friesen ahead of independent Thu Parmar by just six votes — 6,060 to 6,054. Edmonton Elections ordered a recount, which revealed a transposition error on a tally sheet where votes intended for Parmar had been assigned to another candidate. After the recount, Parmar won with 6,667 votes to Friesen's 6,040 — a margin that went from six votes to 627. Parmar had worked in management at Alberta Health and in the pharmaceutical industry.

In Ward Ipiihkoohkanipiaohtsi, first-term incumbent Jennifer Rice — who had won the seat by just 33 votes in 2021 — lost to newcomer Jon Morgan, a longtime Edmonton Transit Service employee who had worked nearly 19 years in roles including LRT inspector and control room superintendent. Morgan won with 6,392 votes (37%) to Rice's 5,762 (33%), with third-place finisher Funke Olokude taking 2,714 votes (16.6%). Rice was the only incumbent to lose re-election.

Among returning incumbents, Erin Rutherford (Anirniq) secured a second term with 39.2% of the vote over challenger Jesse Watson's 29.9%. Aaron Paquette (Dene) won a third term with 6,453 votes (43.2%). Keren Tang (Karhiio) won re-election comfortably, more than doubling her nearest challenger. Ashley Salvador (Metis) took 10,564 votes (48.6%) for a second term. Anne Stevenson (O-day'min) won decisively with 6,269 votes (50.4%). Michael Janz (papastew) dominated with 10,620 votes (56.9%), more than tripling his nearest competitor. Jo-Anne Wright (Sspomitapi) earned a second term with 39.6%, and Karen Principe (tastawiyiniwak), the only incumbent running under the Better Edmonton banner, was re-elected with 49.6%.

Notable Outcomes

The 2025 election marked the first time municipal political parties competed in Edmonton under new provincial legislation. The results were mixed for both parties: Better Edmonton elected three council candidates — Karen Principe (incumbent), Reed Clarke, and Michael Elliott — but its mayoral candidate finished second and its candidate in sipiwiyiniwak lost after the recount. PACE, which fielded candidates in nine wards but no mayoral candidate, did not win any seats. Independent candidates won the mayoralty and nine of twelve council seats, suggesting that Edmonton voters remained cautious about party politics at the municipal level.

The election was marred by significant administrative difficulties stemming from the provincially mandated ban on electronic tabulators. Hand-counting led to delayed results, tabulation errors that flipped at least one ward outcome, and widespread criticism from scrutineers who described inconsistent counting processes across stations. Multiple recounts were required, and official results were not released until October 24 — four days after election day. Tim Cartmell and others called for a citywide audit of the election process.

Andrew Knack and the new council were sworn in on October 29, 2025. The council's composition — eight returning members and four newcomers — signalled continuity rather than the kind of sweeping turnover seen in 2021, when four incumbents were defeated. With a mandate built on experience and institutional knowledge, the new mayor faced immediate challenges including the Valley Line West construction timeline, rising homelessness, downtown revitalization, and managing property tax pressures amid declining commercial assessment values.