Jeromy Farkas completes his journey, being unofficially elected as Calgary’s new mayor

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This time, Jeromy Farkas is - unofficially - Calgary’s new mayor.

Monday night’s civic election could have gone either of two ways for Farkas: a political comeback or a repeat of his loss four years ago.

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His victory is a slim one, according to Elections Calgary. Those results show he has a lead of just 585 ballots over his next nearest contender in Sonya Sharp.

Farkas’ totals for the night were 91,065 while Sharp’s were 90,480.

Jyoti Gondek is a distant third in the results - Calgary’s incumbent mayor garnered 71,397 votes.

Elections Calgary says official results are expected by noon on Oct. 24.

Farkas was up against Gondek, who beat him handily in 2021.

He also faced Sharp, who opted not to run again to be councillor in favour of taking a shot at the mayor’s chair.

And he was competing against Jeff Davison and Brian Thiessen as well.

Earlier Monday, Farkas said this campaign feels a lot different than 2021’s, when he finished second with 30 per cent of the vote to Gondek’s 45.

This time, he says he’s focused on housing, public safety, affordability and jobs.

But some critics have labelled him “Flip-flop Farkas” over policy shifts, like his stance on blanket rezoning, which he now says he’d repeal.

He says he’s evolved since being elected as Ward 11’s councillor in 2017 and would make waves for refusing a pension and pushing for council wage cuts.

After his mayoral loss in 2021, Farkas hiked the Pacific Crest Trail as a fundraiser for Big Brothers Big Sisters—a journey he says changed his outlook.

And in 2023, he became the CEO of the Glenbow Ranch Park Foundation.

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Although rooted in conservative politics, like working for the Manning Foundation and Wildrose Party, Farkas is running as an independent and distancing himself from formal party lines.

Earlier Monday, before he knew he’d won, Farkas said he’s excited for whatever is next for the city he grew up in and loves, whether it’s him or not.

“Look, our next mayor is going to be here to welcome the two million Calgarians. And this is not just a new neighbour—it’s going to be a new story. right?” he said.

“So, when I think about my own family’s experience—my dad coming here as a refugee and immigrant, me growing up right here in east Calgary—that’s exciting to me.”

With files by Teri Fikowski