The 2025 municipal election in Edmonton on Monday, October 20 is shaping up to be a significant one. With incumbent mayor Amarjeet Sohi opting not to run, the field is open and diverse, with multiple prominent candidates vying to lead Alberta’s capital city.
Major Mayoral Candidates
Below are some of the most talked-about candidates. Note: there are many others on the ballot, but these are the ones drawing significant attention.
Tim Cartmell
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Former councillor for Ward Pihêsiwin (southwest Edmonton) since 2017.
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Running under the slate/label Better Edmonton.
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Platform highlights: infrastructure coordination (he proposes a “downtown infrastructure coordinator” to avoid overlapping construction), efficiency in public projects.
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Strengths: experience on Council, known name; Challenges: will need to persuade voters he’s mayor-ready rather than councillor-ready.
Tony Caterina
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Served on Edmonton City Council from 2007-2021.
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Business background, described as a fiscal conservative with emphasis on budget restraint.
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Running as independent (outside of major slates).
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Might appeal to voters concerned about fiscal discipline, but will need to campaign on current issues of growth, transit and affordability.
Rahim Jaffer
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Former Member of Parliament (MP) for the federal Conservatives.
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His entry into the mayoral race signals interest in leveraging federal experience at the municipal level.
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Platform and positioning: emphasises leadership, network; but will need to show municipal policy depth.
Andrew Knack
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Incumbent Edmonton City Councillor (Ward Nakota Isga).
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Independent candidate; emphasises transparency and campaign finance disclosure.
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Appeal: seasoned municipal experience; the question: does he have mayoral-scale name recognition and support?
Omar Mohammad
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Pediatric dentist by profession; political outside candidate.
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Represents a non-traditional path to mayor—may appeal to voters seeking fresh leadership, but needs campaign infrastructure.
Michael Walters
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Former councillor; running as independent.
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Has municipal governance experience; key will be distinguishing his vision from the field.
What They Say They’ll Focus On
According to recent candidate-surveys and debate coverage, five major themes dominate the field.
| Issue | What Candidates Are Saying |
|---|---|
| Housing & Affordability | The cost of living, shortage of affordable units, and how growth-policy impacts everyday residents. |
| Transit & Mobility | How to improve transit service, integrate active transportation (walk/bike), and manage road infrastructure especially as city grows. |
| Infrastructure & Growth Management | Many new subdivisions and growth areas in Edmonton mean infrastructure lag. Candidates are talking about coordinating projects, upgrading utilities, and preventing bottlenecks. (See Cartmell’s infrastructure coordinator idea.) |
| Public Safety & Community Well-being | Voters also care about policing, bylaw enforcement, public space use and how growth affects community safety. |
| Municipal Governance & Transparency | With new municipal political slates allowed, campaign finance questions, candidate affiliations and council accountability are on the radar. (Knack emphasises transparency.) |
Why This Mayoral Race Matters
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No incumbent: With Amarjeet Sohi stepping down, there’s no default favourite — the race is wide open.
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First election with slates/parties: For the first time in many years, municipal parties/slates (like Better Edmonton, Principled Accountable Coalition for Edmonton (PACE)) are in play — shaping how candidates campaign and how voters think.
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Rapid growth pressures: Edmonton is expanding, and the next mayor will steer how infrastructure, housing, transit and services keep pace.
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Voter engagement is uncertain: With many undecided voters and multiple candidates, turnout and voter choice will matter a lot. In a recent poll, undecided voters were a large share.
