In Kelowna's municipal election with 37 candidates vying for eight council seats, some are using unconventional methods to draw attention. Brady Rogers employs humor on his campaign website and social media, joking about being unqualified but highlighting his relevant experience. Teresa May attracted notice by wake-surfing in a suit and heels, aiming to appeal to younger voters via social media. Garrett Millsap features his dog Cooper in campaign materials to make the process more relatable and engaging.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-08,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
In the run-up to Kelowna City Council elections with 37 candidates competing for 8 seats, some contenders are employing unconventional methods to garner attention. For instance, Brady Rogers, a 33-year-old business owner, uses humor and self-deprecating comments on social media, stating he is "unqualified" but implying his real-world experience makes him suitable for the role. His campaign has gained traction, particularly when one of his Instagram posts went viral in the U.S. due to a significant account sharing it.
Christopher Schneider, a sociology professor at Brandon University and former UBC Okanagan professor, notes this strategy reflects broader shifts in how individuals present themselves online during political campaigns. Another candidate, Teresa May, is also adopting an innovative approach, though details of her methods are not fully provided in the excerpt.
Written for “Election Campaign Strategies” on 2026-10-08,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
With 37 candidates competing for eight seats on Kelowna City Council, some candidates are taking unconventional approaches to getting noticed.
asserted
candidates → compete → approaches
Brady Rogers is one of them, using humour to stand out.
asserted
Rogers → use → humour
“Do I enjoy politics?
asserted
I → enjoy → politics
Do I know what I’m doing?
asserted
I → know → what
Also no,” is what his introduction states on his campaign website.
asserted
introduction → state → website
The 33-year old business owner has also been taking to social media with self-deprecating comments, such as, “I barely want to do this.”
asserted
I → take → this
But he says the messaging is intentional and not an indication that he doesn’t take the job seriously.
asserted
he → say → job
“I’m being a little bit tongue-in-cheek when I say I’m unqualified,” Rogers said.
asserted
Rogers → say → ?
“I’ve never been a politician, but I certainly have experience that I think is very relevant and helpful.”
asserted
I → have → experience
The campaign has been getting a lot of attention
Rogers said one of his posts was picked up by a U.S. social media account, with a significant following.
asserted
one → get → following
“It’s been crazy,” he said.
asserted
he → say → ?
“It resonated locally quite a bit, but then somebody in the U.S. picked it up on Instagram, and now it’s all over.”
asserted
it → resonate → Instagram
Teresa May is also taking a different approach to the campaign.
uncertain
May → take → campaign
Get daily National news
The longtime Kelowna resident posted a video of herself wake-surfing on Okanagan Lake while wearing a suit jacket and high heels.
asserted
herself → get → jacket
“I want to look still professional enough to look like a city councillor and at the same time, it was to be sort of outside the box,” May said.
uncertain
May → want → box
She hopes her campaign encourages more people to come out and vote.
asserted
campaign → hop → people
“With only 30 per cent of the population out voting the last time, that’s not good enough,” May said.
uncertain
May → vote → population
- Ability to fix errors in referendum ballot packages show system works: Alberta premier
- Alberta, Saskatchewan premiers shut down Elon Musk’s call for separation
-
asserted
premiers → fix → separation
Premier Smith brushes off NDP’s Alberta voter list court battle, says legislation coming
- Ford government used “leverage” over taxpayer-funded company to extract political benefit: legal letter
asserted
government → brush → benefit
Across the bridge in West Kelowna, Garrett Millsap is taking a more furry approach.
asserted
Millsap → take → approach
His campaign signs feature his 10-year-old Beagle, Cooper, alongside the message “re-elect my human.”
asserted
signs → feature → human
Millsap jokes that Cooper may actually be getting more attention than he is.
uncertain
he → joke → attention
“I’m hoping they’re not confusing me with Cooper,” Millsap said.
asserted
Millsap → hop → Cooper
“He’s a little bit better looking, a little more handsome than me.”
asserted
He → ’ → me
For Millsap, the humour is meant to make political campaigning more approachable.
asserted
campaigning → mean → Millsap
“I want to engage people, let them see something different, give them a chuckle, and hopefully it engages them to vote,” he said.
asserted
he → want → them
Christopher Schneider, a sociology professor at Brandon University and former UBC Okanagan sociology professor, says these types of campaigns fit into a broader shift in how people present themselves online.
asserted
people → say → themselves
He describes it as the “mediated self,” a concept associated with influencer culture and the performance of identity through media.
asserted
He → describe → media
Schneider said social media has created an increasingly crowded environment where people compete for attention.
asserted
people → say → attention
Candidates, he said, are effectively creating personal brands—and unconventional behaviour can help them stand out, but he warns there is also a downside.
asserted
he → say → brands
“There’s always a danger in a democratic society like Canada, where you have people who might be casting ballots for just names on a ballot sheet and not having a full idea or understanding of what that person is campaigning on,” Schneider said.
uncertain
Schneider → ’ → what
Municipal elections in B.C. are scheduled for Oct. 17.
asserted
elections → schedule → Oct.
The Aporia
