Friday, March 23, 2012

NDP leadership endorsement map - final edition

The NDP leadership election is right around the corner, and I have finally compiled the map of political endorsements for the candidates. Since I last published my map in February, a lot has happened, including one of the candidates (Romeo Saganash) dropping out. There have been a huge swath of endorsements, so many, that I'm afraid my map will not be 100% accurate. I did try my best, but I haven't had the time over the last few weeks to religiously follow all the endorsements I'm afraid. So I did my best, following twitter feeds and news items from candidates websites.

If I missed any endorsements, I apologize. Unfortunately, since I am actually going to the convention this weekend, I won't have the time to fix my maps. But please let me know by leaving a comment.

Without further ado, here is the map:

If nothing else, this map is a good indicator of where NDP support is strongest across the country. It goes without saying that endorsements mean very little in the party leadership race. Each endorser has but one vote, and is equal to the endorsement of any other party member, including myself. But, due to the fact it is unlikely the party will release provincial results, this map shows the next best thing.

As I mentioned in my last post about the NDP leadership, BC and Ontario are the most important provinces, with over half of the memberships there. Both provinces are the most eclectic, as all of the major candidates have been able to gain important endorsements there. For the record though, Topp appears to have the edge in BC while Mulcair has the edge in Ontario.

Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Quebec will also be key provinces. Alberta has been a dead zone for endorsements however, as the party has very few elected politicians there. Saskatchewan is dominated by Topp, Manitoba is an Ashton vs Dewar race, and Quebec will be a wash for Mulcair. Nova Scotia has had a lot of endorsements as well. I wish I had the time to make a Halifax inset on the map, so I apologize for the clutter. But anyways, despite forming government there, the Nova Scotia NDP membership is quite low, and wont be a huge factor this weekend.

Well, I wish I could provide more analysis, but this will have to do for now. I do have to get my rest before I head off to Toronto tomorrow. I will be tweeting from the convention floor, so don't forget to follow me! The first ballot will be tallied Saturday morning. Enjoy the convention, everyone. I know I will!

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