Secret Kamloops ‘voting bloc’ vets election candidates

A Kamloops man claims a group of more than 3,000 Kamloops voters is vetting candidates ahead of the municipal election to ensure “the right group of people is elected,” but they won’t be making their endorsements public.

Its membership is private and they operate on an invitation-only basis, but its organizer plans to publicize candidates’ answer to an exhaustive list of questions before the election later this month.

Business consultant Joseph Diamanti is behind the so-called Kamloops Voting Bloc, which he said represents 3,211 people.

“Our goal is to use the voting power we have to ensure the right people get into the horseshoe, and after these last four years, especially a group that can work together cohesively, regardless of how much they disagree on certain topics,” Diamanti said in a social media post.

Some candidates are doubtful the group exists, but the voting bloc could sway the election if they choose in unison.

Fewer than 30,000 people voted in the 2022 election and Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson won with around 7,300, roughly 2,000 more than Dieter Dudy. The last place councillor, Nancy Bepple, got 7,745 votes.

Diamanti contacted the city’s 35 mayoral and council candidates this week with 15 survey questions. Nearly all of them received an extra question tailored to them personally. Their responses are expected to be collected and sent to news agencies and posted to social media.

Several candidates sought more information about the voting bloc or said they did not have time to respond within the day provided, but it’s not clear if any have answered the questions, according to emails provided to iNFOnews.ca.

Diamanti told candidates his bloc is a “diverse” group of voters and it has no affiliation with other groups, political parties or organizations. The voting bloc also won’t be making public endorsement, he said.

“This group must represent Kamloops professionally, making it a place people talk about positively again instead of the constant negative airplay the current council has brought,” he said in an email to one candidate.

“This group must be one we know can confidently work together, especially when addressing issues on which members fundamentally disagree. We intend to vote for the people who invest in us, as much as they invest in the committees they’re on, and the causes important to them.”

iNFOnews.ca has reached out to Diamanti for more information about the voting bloc but has yet to receive a reply.