Liberal winner in Vancouver Granville spent twice as much on Facebook ads as NDP runner-up
In a hotly contested B.C. riding where the federal Liberal candidate defeated the NDP runner-up by less than one percentage point, the winner outspent his rival by more than double on Facebook ads.
Taleeb Noormohamed won Vancouver Granville with 34.4 per cent of the vote to 33.5 per cent for the NDP’s Anjali Appadurai – a difference of just 436 votes.
Data from Facebook shows that Noormohamed spent $13,541 advertising on the social media platform between June 27 and Sept. 24.
Meanwhile Appadurai spent $6,137 on Facebook ads in the same time period.
Conservative candidate Kailin Che came in third with 26.8 per cent of the vote, and Facebook’s records show she spent $0 advertising for her campaign on the platform.
Official Elections Canada reports, which include all campaign spending, have not yet been released.
While differences in spending on Facebook ads may provide clues about the money a candidate had access to, they are not a definitive reflection of the total resources (financial donations, in-kind donations, volunteer support, or party leader support) that each candidate had at their disposal. Furthermore, the disparities on Facebook ad spending could merely signal a difference in campaign strategy.
The race between Noormohamed and Appadurai was so tight that the CTV News Decision Desk wasn’t able to call a winner until two days after the election.
In another tight race – Richmond Centre, where the Liberals unseated the Conservative Party’s Alice Wong – the spending on Facebook ads was also disparate. Liberal candidate Wilson Miao won with 39.3 per cent of the vote, and spent $1,845 between June 27 and Sept. 24, while Wong, who captured 37.1 per cent of votes, spent $721 in the same time period, according to Facebook.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
More than half the Canadians once detained in Syrian camps for suspected ISIS family members have returned home
A total of 29 Canadians have been freed from detention camps in northeast Syria and brought back to Canada since human rights advocates began lobbying for their release years ago.
Rare severe solar storm Friday could bring spectacular aurora light show across Canada
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.
Amish youth experience a rite of passage called Rumspringa. It’s not what you might think
The idea of “Rumspringa” has a specific spot in the American imagination. A rite of passage for young people in some Amish communities, Rumspringa is seen by most outsiders as a wild time away from strict Amish rules, when teenagers can experiment with the modern vices of the world.
Djokovic needs medical attention after getting knocked on the head by a water bottle at Italian Open
Novak Djokovic needed medical attention after apparently getting knocked on the head by a water bottle after a win at the Italian Open on Friday.