Glen Murray Scandals Scuttle Winnipeg Mayoral Coronation

As explained by The Daily Scrum, “allegations made by Murray’s past colleagues (called) into question his character. Some of these allegations were first reported by C.B.C. of Murray being intoxicated at a work function, sexual harassment, making sexual innuendos in the workplace, physically assaulting a former employee and rubbing up against him, “pelvis to buttocks.” In addition to these allegations, former Caledon Mayor Marolyn Morrison had also made allegations of intimidation by the former Mayor when he was a Member of the Provincial Parliament in the Ontario Legislature.” 

While the ‘stop-Murray vote’ coalesced around 2-term councillor Gillingham, Murray failed to present himself as the ‘stop-Gillingham’ candidate. Tactically he would have had to pin the failings of the regime on Gillingham’s unfailing support for the smarmy Brian Bowman, political baggage that no other candidate exploited either.  As a result, Murray lost substantial support in the inner-city to upstart Shaun Loney, whose campaign was run by federal NDP back-roomers.

Then at the CBC debate on October 19, Murray floundered on the issues repeatedly. Gillingham directly challenged him that his firing from the Alberta think-tank was the real reason Murray scurried back to Winnipeg to revive his political career.

The next day, CBC broadcast a follow-up story that sunk Murray’s campaign with even more damning complaints from the Toronto office of the Pembina Institute: “Mayoral candidate Glen Murray tried to find out who made complaints when he led think-tank, emails suggest; Correspondence appears to contradict claim he wasn’t made aware of complaints about him at Pembina Institute.”

The record-low voter turnout at 37.5% also hurt Murray at the ballot box, with many believing that the ‘front-runner’ proclamations ultimately served to suppress voter interest in exercising their franchise.

An argument can also be made that the lacklustre council campaign, with only two seats wide open, contributed to voter apathy. In those races, Evan Duncan won in his second attempt to represent Charleswood-Tuxedo-Westwood, overcoming the 20 point lead of CJOB radio presenter Hal Anderson in an early poll; and the mercurial former councilman Shawn Dobson, who shunned almost all media coverage, took Gillingham’s vacated St. James ward by about 8% over Kelly Ryback.

There was only one incumbent dislodged, as Transcona chose to replace one-term councillor Shawn Nason with long-time former representative Russ Wyatt. Councilors in two wards were returned by acclamation. The other ten wards re-elected the holdovers with clear majorities, including Jewish council members John Orlikow and Sherri Rollins.