English
Eleven school trustees in Winnipeg have secured their seats without facing a vote, winning by acclamation ahead of the upcoming election day. That figure is nearly three times higher than the four candidates who won by acclamation in the 2022 election, according to official results.
Winnipeg School Division Leads Uncontested Races
The Winnipeg School Division recorded the highest number of uncontested seats this election cycle, with five trustee positions going unchallenged. The sharp rise in acclaimed races has drawn attention from both current and former trustees across the city.
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Tamara Kuly, one of the acclaimed trustees in the Winnipeg School Division, described the experience as unusual. “It feels different,” she said. “To win by acclamation is, I guess, a relief, but it feels a bit weird, because you’re winning a race you didn’t run.” Kuly faced a contested race when she first ran for the position in 2022.
Concern Over Voter Disengagement
Former school trustee Laura Reimer offered two possible explanations for the growing number of acclamations. Reimer served in the St. Boniface and Louis Riel School Division in the early 2000s. “There’s two reasons why trustees get acclaimed,” she said. “One is they do a great job, and the other reason is democracy is tired.”
Her comment highlights a broader concern. When no candidates step forward to challenge an incumbent, voters lose the opportunity to choose between competing visions for their schools. That lack of competition can reflect either strong community confidence in a trustee or a worrying decline in civic participation.
Meanwhile, the contrast between this election and the last is striking. In 2022, only four candidates across all divisions won by acclamation. This time, that number has jumped to eleven. Whether the trend reflects satisfaction with current leadership or growing public disinterest in school board politics remains an open question. However, the result is the same — a significant portion of trustee seats will be filled without a single vote being cast on election day.
