Residents set to vote in tight race

Experts uncertain if Parrish’s peek-a-boo’ front-runner strategy will resonate with voters

- NOOR JAVED

Mississauga residents will head to the polls on Monday to vote for a new mayor after a months-long campaign that saw 20 candidates pursue dramatically different political strategies in the city’s first closely contested election in decades.

After leaving her council seat in March to run for mayor, Carolyn Parrish opted for a front-runner strategy and pulled out of almost all the candidate debates — essentially avoiding policy discussions or challenges to her platform during the two-month campaign.

Her closest opponents, including candidates Dipika Damerla, Alvin Tedjo and Stephen Dasko — who are all sitting councillors and have remained so — have attended multiple debates, giving them ample opportunity to communicate campaign pledges and promises.

One expert said it’s hard to say which strategy will resonate more with voters on election day — or if it will be the respective policies that will ultimately give one an edge, in a campaign where housing and development issues have taken centre stage.

“Parrish has been doing a ‘peek-aboo’ campaign, where she shows up where she wants, but avoids everything else,” said Zachary Spicer, an associate professor in the School of Public Policy and Administration at York University.

“But the challenge is that when you leave a void, your challengers can do whatever they want with the void. When you say less, others are going to say more … which can include negative attacks.”

Parrish has faced criticism for pulling out of debates despite pressing issues impacting the city, such as affordability, a housing shortage and crime.