A Canadian man has won a seat on his local city council after running a tongue-in-cheek campaign that openly declared he was underqualified, uninterested in politics and “just trying to pay my rent.”
Brady Rogers, 33, appeared to enter the Kelowna city council race almost reluctantly. He told voters he “barely” wanted the job — then went on to win it.
Although Rogers acknowledged that he did not feel qualified for public office, his comedic campaign struck a chord with voters in the British Columbia city.
“I think for the most part people saw the tongue-in-cheek humor, and once they dug into my platform they recognized I do actually have some fairly sophisticated ideas,” he told CBC’s Radio West on Monday.
His satirical campaign featured slogans including “I barely want to do this” and “Just trying to pay my rent.” As election day approached, the message evolved into a more decisive: “Fine, I’ll do it.”
That “let’s see what happens” attitude resonated with voters. Despite his initial reservations, Rogers believes his outsider perspective is precisely the kind of voice local politics needs.
“I think that those [younger] voices who are actually experiencing the economy as it is now are important voices to have on council,” he said.
Rogers, a small-business owner and engineer by trade, initially found the idea of launching a city council campaign “laughable.”
Brady Rogers, 33, entered the Kelowna city council race reluctantly but surprised voters by winning after saying he “barely” wanted the position.
Rogers’ “let’s see what happens” campaign connected with voters, and he now believes his fresh perspective could benefit local politics.
Rogers acknowledged his lack of experience, saying: “They’ll presumably tell me how to be a councilor. But until then, it’s just me taking it day by day.”
After considering the idea more seriously, however, he concluded that he was “unfortunately” equipped with many of the skills needed to make what he expects will be positive changes.
Once he committed to the race, Rogers put forward substantive proposals on housing, transit, taxation and homelessness, according to the outlet.
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He said he felt a sense of “duty” to bring a new perspective to Kelowna’s city council and serve the city’s 167,000 constituents.
In Saturday’s municipal election, Rogers received 12,635 votes, making him the fourth-most popular candidate, CBC reported.
“It’s been strange to have people recognize me. It’s very new to me, but overwhelmingly positive,” he told Radio West.
Rogers remains aware that he is new to municipal government. “They’ll presumably tell me how to be a councilor. But until then, it’s just me taking it day by day,” he said.
David Black, an associate professor at the School of Communication and Culture at Royal Roads University, said Rogers’ light-hearted campaign offered voters a refreshing alternative.
“It’s serious fun. It’s sincere satire,” Black told the outlet. “It’s not the Rhinoceros Party … it’s not just satire for its own sake or just to mock government. It is satire with policy attached.”
Rogers won 12,635 votes in Saturday’s municipal election, finishing as the fourth-most popular candidate.
Black said that the tactic made him stand out from the 37 council candidates and helped him seem more aligned with modern voters, who are yearning for relatable and honest politicians.
He added that Rogers was helped by leaning into his personality, making him more personable and real to voters.
‘We like people to come to power – even a council seat in Kelowna, not king of the world – reluctantly,’ Black said.
Rogers echoed a similar feeling when speaking with NDTV, and said: ‘I believe that government is for the people and needs to defend our interests. Far too often, we feel like the systems around us are happening to us.
‘But they aren’t forces of nature. We built them, we can question them, and when they stop working for us, we can change them.’
The Daily Mail reached out to Rogers for comment.