See Jane Run scaling up to serve 2022 municipal elections Province-wide

Saint John, NB: See Jane Run is scaling up.

The grassroots volunteer-run organization was formed in early 2021 to promote and support women interested in running for municipal government in the Saint John region – and after May’s successful showing for women at the ballot box, they’re ready to expand their footprint.

“The White Paper on Local Government Reform has started the ball rolling for a November 2022 municipal election, and we’re excited to announce that See Jane Run will be there for female candidates no matter where they live in the Province,” says co-founder Katie Bowden.

The organization, whose co-founders also include Rothesay Councillor Tiffany Mackay French and Grand Bay-Westfield Mayor Brittany Merrifield, ran a campaign college speaker series and private Facebook group for candidates and their campaign managers.

“There is no party system at the municipal level, so candidates are on their own,” says Mackay French. “See Jane Run fills that void, building a non-partisan community of support around our candidate group, helping them navigate the election process, ask questions in a safe space, tackle challenges together, and understand how to be successful at the job they’re running for.”  

The organization is in the process of becoming a not-for-profit, and plans to begin fundraising to ensure they can deliver their campaign college materials in French and English.

“Municipal elections are part of the leadership funnel that will see us eventually reach gender parity in the New Brunswick legislature, and elect our first female Premier,” says Merrifield. “It all starts close to home – and now is the time to start thinking about offering your candidacy next November.”

The 2021 municipal election saw a significant increase in the number of women offering their candidacy, and an increase in the number of women who were successful at winning their election contests.

“The 2021 election was a solid step in the right direction, but we still have a long way to go before we see the diversity of our communities reflected around our province’s council tables,” says Bowden. “The 2022 election means we don’t have to wait another four years before taking another step toward that goal, so we will be continuing to encourage and welcome Black, Indigenous, People of Colour and Gender Diverse folks to offer as candidates and join our group. Ensuring there is a wide variety of perspectives heard both in the upcoming election and around the council table will be a huge win for our province.”