Visible Minorities: What Individual Characteristics Determine Electoral Success in Municipal Councils in the Greater Toronto Area?

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Visible Minorities - Municipal Councils in the GTA

Summary

"This paper examines the extent to which individual characteristics contribute to electoral success in the municipal context with a particular focus on visible minority (VM) candidates in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). It uses a cross-sectional study approach to test four hypotheses: if the VM candidate was born in Canada, he/she is more likely to have electoral success; if the VM candidate has previous political experience, he/she is more likely to be elected to a municipal council; if the VM candidate has a political mentor, he/she is more likely to have electoral success; and if the VM candidate runs for office in a “colour coded” or high visible minority area, he/she is more likely to have electoral success. In addition, VM office holders in ten municipalities in the GTA – Ajax, Brampton, Clarington, Markham, Milton, Mississauga, Oakville, Richmond Hill, Toronto, and Vaughan – were selected to participate in a survey. The findings reveal that evidence from the survey results is inconclusive in relation to the arguments presented in the four hypotheses, indicating a need for further research."

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