Meet your mayoral candidates: Jeff Davison

By Danijela Marcinkovic, October 16 2025—

Jeff Davison, a former city councillor, is running for mayor a second time. He ran for mayor in 2021 and placed third overall. In an interview with the Gauntlet, Davison discussed what sets himself apart from other candidates, along with his visions for the city of Calgary. 

Davison’s top priority for Calgary is public safety. 

“What is going on in the streets is a very big problem and complex problems do not have simple solutions,” said Davison. 

For Davison, one way to promote safety among Calgarians is utilizing peace officers for public transit. He plans to work together with multiple orders of government to make people successful again. 

Davison also connected public safety to broader social issues, particularly mental health and addiction, noting that these challenges are deeply intertwined with Calgary’s homelessness crisis.

“Our province needs to be better at working with the city so that we come to collective solutions,” said Davison.

He explained that prevention is key to addressing these issues, emphasizing the need for earlier intervention through community support networks.

“We should be providing the wraparound care agencies on day one — to make sure that six months later you do not end up on the streets,” he said. 

Davison believes that without proactive approaches, the city risks pushing vulnerable individuals into cycles of instability and poverty.

“The city has been struggling to provide the proactive means that we need to make sure that people do not fall victim to homelessness, drug addiction or to mental health challenges,” said Davison.

Davison has spent four years working with the Calgary Economic Development agency, and spent a year after that working with Invest Alberta. He believes this experience and skillset is what differentiates himself in this municipal election. 

“I know how to attract business to our city [and] how to attract opportunity,” said Davison. 

He pointed to concrete examples of his achievements during his tenure in economic development, highlighting Calgary’s recent successes in film and technology investment.

“1.1 billion dollars of investment that’s been made in Calgary was all through things I started,” Davison stated. “I stood up the film industry here. I stood up the technology industry.” 

For Davison, economic revitalization also ties closely to keeping young people in the city after graduation. Many students often leave Calgary after graduation due to inability to find employment in their field, and Davison seeks to combat that. 

“I’m not convinced that Calgary is on the right track to ensuring that we remain…a primary place of opportunity,” said Davison. “The best part of having been on the board of governors with U of C for the last four years is really understanding what is the student experience and how can we improve, and how do we set Calgary up to ensure that we are providing the opportunities for growth in sectors that students are wanting to find careers in.”

Davison’s stance on housing reflects a desire to preserve the character of Calgary’s communities while still expanding housing diversity. He opposes blanket rezoning but supports alternative strategies to increase affordability and accessibility.

“I am not in favour of the blanket rezoning, but that doesn’t mean I’m not in favour of diversity of product type.” 

He emphasized that community identity is one of Calgary’s greatest assets, and that change should be guided — not forced.

“I think the diversity of Calgary’s communities is…one of the best things about Calgary. I honestly think we have the greatest city on earth,” said Davison. “We want to make it better, but destroying community isn’t going to do that. We want to lean into what makes communities different, right?” 

As a more immediate measure, Davison proposes expanding the use of secondary suites, which he believes could provide affordable housing options without requiring new large-scale developments.

“What I’d rather see is us move forward with more programming around secondary suites,” said Davison. “We can actually use existing infrastructure to service [secondary programs] and get it done right away.” 

He also advocates for smart density planning that integrates housing, affordability and transit access.

“One of the things I’ve been championing is ensuring that we’re putting density where density makes sense, but we’re building mixed use, we’re building a different product type, we’re building affordability measures in.” 

Davison argued that public transit must evolve alongside housing and development if Calgary is to remain a connected and livable city. He criticized the city’s slow pace on infrastructure projects, such as the long-delayed Blue Line expansion to the airport.

“Ensuring that people can find good quality living, they can afford it and they have access through public transit is really key on how we’re gonna do those things going forward,” said Davison. “The commitment hasn’t been met when it comes to investment in that [public transit] infrastructure. We’re now talking about how we have a funded a blue line to the airport that was on the table four years ago and it took an election before it got announced and funded — that should be table stakes for a city that is growing opportunity. We’ve got to figure out quickly how we’re going to get the rest of it built to continue to provide good quality access at a reasonable rate, fair rate to Calgarians.”

Ultimately, Davison said his goal is to build a Calgary where students and young professionals have a tangible voice in shaping the city’s future.

“We’re building this city for you and the only way that we get it right is by involving you at the table.” 

Davison’s platform combines business-minded pragmatism with a call for community stability, reflecting his background in economic development and municipal governance. His emphasis on safety, infrastructure and small-scale housing solutions presents a measured, incremental vision for Calgary’s growth.

For students and recent graduates, his experience on the U of C’s Board of Governors suggests a genuine understanding of youth priorities — employment, affordability and civic voice. His emphasis on opportunity creation, industry growth and civic inclusion reflects a realistic understanding of what it takes to keep young talent here. However, his focus on traditional economic engines and cautious urban planning may not resonate with a generation eager for bolder change remains to be seen. 

While some may seek a more radical vision, Davison’s consistency and proven familiarity with both city governance and the postsecondary landscape make him a credible contender for those who value stability paired with long-term progress.

To vote in Calgary’s municipal election, you must be at least 18 years old, a Canadian citizen and a resident of Calgary on election day. 

On Oct. 20, voters can cast their ballots for the city’s next mayor, as well as the councillor and school board trustee representing their ward. 

For information on where to vote and how to get involved, visit www.electionscalgary.ca.