'Edmontonians need to know': Sohi only mayoral frontrunner to share donors list so far

EDMONTON -

Several days after mayoral hopeful Amarjeet Sohi publicly released his donors list, the other frontrunning candidates still had not shared theirs.

CTV News Edmonton reached out to Mike Nickel, Kim Krushell, Micheal Oshry and Cheryll Watson and they all promised to release their lists before election day.

Nickel said he’d release his list on Wednesday - but it wasn’t received before 5 p.m.

“We’ll release it. No one has really asked us to release our donor list, but we’re happy to share it,” he said at his campaign office.

“Maybe you would like a complete donors list? How about that? As opposed to one in transition? So maybe a donors list at the end is better than one at the beginning?” He asked CTV News Edmonton.

“The results are what matter at the end, so let’s get you your list.”

A spokesperson for Nickel said the information would be available sometime Wednesday night or maybe Thursday.

Sohi’s list was released on Oct. 8 and he promised to update it before election day.

“We have made that public because we want to be transparent to Edmontonians. I’m so proud to have the support of close to 1,300 Edmontonians who have donated to my campaign,” he said.

Sohi’s team didn’t pinpoint an exact number, rather listed a range of each donation. His total so far is somewhere between $400,000 and $1 million.

Outgoing mayor Don Iveson raised $618,000 in 2013 and $396,000 in 2017, according to statements he released.

SOHI'S $400K A 'SEVERE HINDRANCE' TO OPPOSITION: MENSAH

“I think it's a severe hindrance to the other candidates trying to compete with (Sohi),” local political scientist Chaldeans Mensah said of the former federal minister’s 2021 campaign cash.

Mensah applauded candidates disclosing early, calling it smart politics.

“You’d be in the good books of the public that you’re not going to be beholden to any specific interests,” he said.

Sohi stopped short of criticising his opponents for not disclosing as early as him, but said it’s important for voters to have time to review all of the lists.

“I hope that other candidates will do the same well before the election, because Edmontonians need to know where the money is coming to support each of the candidates,” he said.

Krushell agreed with Sohi and said hers will be available before the Oct.18 vote.

“We’ll definitely be releasing it. It’s part of my transparency and accountability and we have no problem in releasing it, so It'll be this week,” she said.

Candidates are required to release a final list of contributions and expenditures to Edmonton Elections before March 1, 2022.

Diana Steele, Brian “Breezy” Gregg, Augustine Marah and Vanessa Denman are also running for mayor. Rick Comrie and Abdul Malik Chukwudi have both dropped out of the race.

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Dan Grummett.