Election night was tough on independent candidates, as Evelina Halsey-Brandt was the sole councillor without a party affiliation to win a spot on council.
"It is really hard, and I can understand why more people don't do it," Halsey-Brandt said of running as an independent.
Halsey-Brandt was one of eight independent candidates running for a slot on council. William Kang Chen, the lone independent candidate for school trustee, finished last.
Richard Lee, an independent candidate who attempted to dethrone Mayor Malcolm Brodie, lost by nearly 12,000 votes. Brodie is also an independent now, but he initially established himself in politics with the RNPA (Richmond Non-Partisan Association), which evolved into Richmond First.
Halsey-Brandt said she campaigned to exhaustion, serving as her own campaign manager and support staff. Despite the physical strain, she retained her seat by a comfortable margin, finishing in fourth place with more than 14,000 votes.
Besides Halsey-Brandt, the party lines of Richmond's new council consist of: one candidate from the Richmond Independent Team of Electors, two councillors from the Richmond Citizens Association, and four members of the Richmond First party.
"It's a tough haul to raise money," Halsey-Brandt said, discussing campaigning without the aid of an established slate.
Lee agreed.
"Unless you have a machine, an independent candidate doesn't have much of a chance," Lee said on election night.
Restrictions on campaign spending might be the only way an independent candidate will have a legitimate chance of winning, Lee added.
Despite being bested by Mayor Brodie, Lee came closer than any candidate in recent memory, as Brodie has won the last three elections by an average of more than 15,000 votes.
"When you're doing it all by yourself, there's only so many doors you can knock on," Halsey-Brandt said.
On the issue of making things fair for independent candidates, city staff is doing a good job, according to Halsey-Brandt. She cited the city's decision to send candidate profiles to every household. "Every single registered voter had a list."
Halsey-Brandt said she was also encouraged by the strong showings of several relatively unknown candidates.
"It is interesting to see just how well you can do," Alexa Loo said. The former Olympic snowboarder finished in 11th place. However, her vote total of 11,918 would have been enough to win her a spot on council in 2008.
"I spent about 600 bucks on my campaign," Loo said. "I'm an accountant so I'm cheap," she added with a laugh.
Loo, who is expecting to give birth to her first child later in the week, said her lack of experience was likely a factor in her loss. "All these people came with existing political experience," she said of her campaign rivals, many of whom were either incumbents or had served as school trustees.
Loo also speculated that the impending birth of her first child may have made some voters reluctant to back her at the polls. "I think there were a few people who were concerned about my ability to juggle."
Councillor Bill McNulty suggested that Loo run on the Richmond First slate in the future, she said, and that may be a "clever" move, but she would have to see where party lines are drawn before giving up her independent status.
For Halsey-Brandt, independence is essential for maintaining personal integrity. "I don't represent any interest group," she said. "You cannot be an individual in a group."
"Sometimes I think party politics are necessary, but I think at the local level they're not."
