Nomination Day.

Today the core campaign crew met up at city hall for nomination day!

Don has been knocking on doors all summer, the team has been strategizing for months and months, and we're looking forward to helping Don run for council again. Lots of people are assuming that the campaign is easier the second time around. I disagree.

It certainly feels different, but being the little campaign that unseated an incumbent three years ago... it's not our style to rest on laurels. The campaign machine has been churning despite Don's current position. Take nothing for granted!

One of the biggest differences with this campaign and last time is that we have Dexter now.

He is a predictable dude, loving the stairs at city hall.

And very charismatic, having a chat with our current mayor, Stephen Mandel.

On our way in (it was crazy busy), Don got stopped to talk to press.

Dexter was a huge hit. Photographers and video cameras were constantly being pointed at the handsome little dude.

Peek!

Uncle Dan (also the mastermind behind campaign design and other things) helped me keep an eye on the kid.

Don filed papers, making his candidacy official.

And did some more interviews.

After we escaped the hustle and bustle, Chris (campaign manager) and Don debrief.

Don consults the interwebs.

Leanne (deputy campaign manager) was very chill, and another stylish member of the campaign team.

I wore an "office" outfit.

Last time's campaign was successful because of the quality people involved. All the volunteers, the core team, and even the occasional helpers are what resulted in Don going from underdog to councillor. It doesn't hurt that Don is smart and diplomatic to boot. Everybody said it was a long shot, but I don't think those people realized how serious our team was. Granted, I don't think there is any one formula for running a successful campaign, but hard work, organization, and communication are key elements.

The next little while leading up to election day (October 18th) will be somewhat nuts here. I'm working full time, we have Dexter to take care of, and the campaign will be running full tilt. But, it's worth it. We live in a city that has so much potential. Many things about Edmonton make it a desirable place to live and Don and I have good reasons for choosing to continue living here (beautiful river valley, friendly people, good public schools, great friends and family).

This city is growing. For specifics, I'd highly recommend visiting Don's site because his record, his blog, and his platform are all there. Very generally speaking, however, Don and I decided several years ago that if we were going to live in this city permanently, we wanted to be active members of the community. It wasn't initially Don's idea to run for council three years ago (it was the campaign manager's bright idea), but it turns out that Don is great at this job. He is a reasonable man who does all his homework before making decisions, and even when he has to compromise, he has sound defence for his choices. His reading, writing, and listening comprehension is enviable. And the man works hard. If I didn't work until around 9 pm each night myself we might run into abandonment issues!

Thankfully we have such loving friends and grandparents who help us with the baby. If this were not the case my teaching career would have to be put on hold or Don wouldn't be running again. I think Dexter has been to more public consultation meetings than most toddlers.

So the election is afoot. It's crunch time, which means tons of work, but also lots of opportunities to meet and engage with citizens in ward 10. Stay tuned for more tales from the campaign trail over the next four weeks!