Ben Isitt

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Ben Isitt (born ca. 1978) is a Canadian socialist politician and activist, best known for his 2002 and 2005 campaigns for mayor of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

1 Early life
2 First mayoral run
3 Later life
4 2005 Election
5 External links

[edit] Early life

Isitt's interest in politics was sparked by a high school history class in which he was one of only two students to argue from the left. A backpacking trip through the United States further radicalized him; the high school senior saw "glaring poverty." He entered the University of Victoria in 1996 and became a campus activist, joining the International Socialists and becoming news editor of The Martlet. In a break after his first year, he took a 28-country trip through Europe and the Middle East, including a time working on an Israeli kibbutz. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in history and creative writing in 2001.

[edit] First mayoral run

While a Master's degree student at UVic, he sought support of the local New Democratic Party to run for mayor. The Victoria Civic Electors, the municipal party of the NDP, chose not to endorse his campaign because they agreed with Isitt that a proper search had not been conducted. The Victoria Civic Electors announced they would search for anyone capable of challenging the heavily favoured incumbent Alan Lowe. No other candidate was willing and the Victoria Civic Electors refused to reconvene as previously decided to endorse Isitt's candidacy. After this inaction by the Victoria Civic Electors Isitt entered the contest for Mayor.

Isitt's slogan called to build "a Cooperative & Green Victoria", with a platform. David Turner, a New Democrat and Victoria's mayor from 1990 to 1993, endorsed Isitt for mayor for his "his energy, vision and commitment to a more just distribution of resources." [1] With about 40 volunteers and $9 000, Isitt won more than five thousand votes, nearly a third of the total.

[edit] Later life

In 2003, Isitt finished his Master of Arts in history with a thesis on syndicalism in British Columbia in the 1920s. The same year, he was elected to the executive of the New Democratic Youth of Canada as policy director, and endorsed Joe Comartin for leader of the NDP.

For a time Isitt lived in New Brunswick, pursuing a doctorate in Canadian labour history; he was active in the NDP there, and wrote for The Brunswickan. Still pursuing the degree, Isitt now lives with his wife and daughter in the Victoria neighbourhood of Fernwood.

[edit] 2005 Election

Having built his name recognition in the 2002 election, Ben Isitt chose to once again run for mayor. His team pushed to have a VCE mayoralty candidate and succeeded. Isitt won the Victoria Civic Electors nomination for mayor with over 60% of the votes cast in September 2005 over the objections of the party executive and incumbent councillors. After the endorsement, the VCE city council slate and Isitt ran largely separate campaigns. Isitt lost to mayor Lowe by 1,400 votes, taking 43.6% of the votes cast (the same percentage as twice failed left-wing Vancouver Mayoralty candidate Jim Green) compared to Lowe's 51.9%.