Winnipeg mayoral candidate Noah Redden rises to third place in latest poll

A recent Abacus Data survey released Friday places software developer Noah Redden in third place with 14% of decided voters, tying him with candidate Mike Vogiatzakis. Incumbent mayor Scott Gillingham remains ahead with 36% support, though that figure is 19 points lower than a September poll conducted for the Free Press. Former city councillor and Progressive Conservative cabinet minister Kevin Klein is second with 19%, a drop of four points since September.

Redden, who runs a grassroots campaign focused on social media, told the Free Press at a diner in St. James that his message on public transit, homelessness and addiction appears to be resonating with voters. > "I’m feeling pretty good… the increase in support has been really exciting," he said. He added that limited fundraising capacity led him to rely heavily on social-media posts aimed at younger voters.

Supporters at the event included Sandra Bender, 46, and her mother Karen Klassen Bender, 71, who praised Redden’s platform and expressed dissatisfaction with Gillingham’s handling of transit and homelessness policies.

Gillingham’s spokesperson Colin Fast said the incumbent’s campaign will continue to focus on voter mobilisation for election day, adding, "We’re going to keep focusing on our own campaign, and getting ready for election day when we’ll have 200 people mobilized throughout Winnipeg to get out the vote."

Kevin Klein disputed the poll’s methodology, describing the results as "fictional" and noting that the sample was drawn from an online panel and text-message recruitment, which prevents a standard margin of error from being applied.

The poll also listed eight other candidates receiving between one and seven percent support. Voters are scheduled to cast ballots on Wednesday.