Meili holds lead in raising funds for NDP leadership contest

NDP leadership hopeful Ryan Meili raised more money — and from more donors — than his lone competitor, Trent Wotherspoon.

Final financial disclosures from the party show Meili raised $157,679 to the end of January, from 896 people.

Wotherspoon raised $127,333 ($30,346 less than Meili) from 538 sources (358 fewer than Meili).

Meili admitted he took a risk at the start of the campaign by swearing off corporate or union donations — but said the plan has worked in his favour. Wotherspoon’s biggest donors are unions, while Meili’s are individuals.

It is impossible to know how many people chose to donate to Meili because of his commitment, but the Saskatoon-Meewasin MLA said it is “really encouraging to see we continue to out-fundraise both in sheer numbers and from total numbers of individuals.”

With just over a week left until a new NDP leader is announced, Meili is chalking up the fundraising totals to “momentum” and characterized it as “reflective of what we’re feeling” on the campaign trail. His biggest donors gave $5,000 and include Yann Martel as well as Garry and Shirley Ward.

Wotherspoon’s $5,000 donors are Construction and General Workers Local 180, Ironworkers Local 771, Millwrights Local 1021, Saskatchewan Building Trades, Unifor 649 and the United Steel Workers District 3.

While Meili leads with a wide margin in fundraising and donors, Wotherspoon, the Regina-Rosemont MLA, continues to rake in high-profile endorsements.

Wotherspoon has the support from six of the remaining 10 sitting NDP MLAs, as well as endorsements from former NDP leader Cam Broten, the longest-serving female MLA Pat Atkinson and former premier Allan Blakeney’s wife Anne.

“In our campaign we’ve been focused on contacting voters and contacting our supporters and fundraising what we need to do that effectively and we’ve certainly been doing that,” said Mitchell Bonokoski, Wotherspoon’s lead organizer, who called the endorsements an “important metric.”

“Dollars are one thing, but the support of people in our party, and high profile people in our party, is also important,” he said.

A new leader will be selected at a convention on March 3 in Regina.