Graduate Work and Community Involvement
While a Master's degree student at UVic, Isitt entered the contest for Mayor of Victoria as an independent candidate in 2002. This followed the decision of the Victoria Civic Electors, municipal arm of the New Democratic Party, against challenging the business-aligned incumbent Alan Lowe. Isitt's platform advocated for "a Cooperative & Green Victoria." David Turner, a New Democrat and Victoria's mayor from 1990 to 1993, endorsed Isitt for mayor for "his energy, vision and commitment to a more just distribution of resources." With 40 volunteers and $9 000, Isitt won more than five thousand votes, 32% of all ballots cast.
In 2003, Isitt finished his Master of Arts in history with a thesis on the origins of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) in British Columbia. The same year, he was elected to the executive of the New Democratic Youth of Canada as policy director, endorsing Joe Comartin for leader of the NDP and serving on the party's federal council.
For a time Isitt lived in New Brunswick, pursuing a PhD in Canadian history; he was active in the NDP there, helping to revive the youth wing and writing for The Brunswickan. In 2005, Isitt once again ran for mayor, winning the nomination of the NDP-affiliated Victoria Civil Electors and capturing 43.6% of the votes cast, compared to Lowe's 51.9%.
In 2008, Isitt successfully defended his History dissertation on the topic "Tug-of-War: The Working Class and Political Change in British Columbia, 1948-1972".
Read more about this topic: Ben Isitt
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