Subhead:Working Families Edmonton enjoys the kind of union and NDP infrastructure that would make most registered political parties blush, and the candidates backed by this group have retained control over city council.#
After a drawn-out night of hand-counted ballots and an even longer few years of political déjà vu, Edmonton’s 2025 municipal election wrapped up with a familiar face on top — and a familiar group pulling the strings behind the scenes.
With most ballots counted, Andrew Knack leads the mayoral race with about 38% per cent of the vote, ahead of Tim Cartmell at roughly 29%, and the rest of the field trailing far behind. It’s a decisive, if uninspired, win that signals continuity — not upheaval.
Turnout sat around 30%, one of the lowest in city history, suggesting most Edmontonians have checked out of civic politics altogether.
But those who did vote seemed content to stick with the same direction that’s given them record tax hikes, relentless infill battles, and an obsession with bike lanes over basic services.
Working Families Edmonton, the self-described grassroots progressive group, insists it isn’t a political party. Yet it endorses slates of candidates, spends tens of thousands backing them, and enjoys the kind of union and NDP infrastructure most registered parties would envy — all without declaring its donors or expenditures because it refuses to register as one.
