COPE has nominated incumbent Coun. David Cadman and former councillor Ellen Woodsworth to the party’s two-seat slate for Vancouver city council.

Feisty former councilor Tim Louis was eliminated by a mere six votes in the third runoff election held Sunday afternoon at the Ukrainian church at 10th and Main. But Louis said he had no hard feelings after the defeat.

"These things happen," he told reporters.

Fourth-place finisher Meena Wong was eliminated on the second ballot. And fifth-placer Terry Martin was jettisoned after the first round of voting at the Ukrainian church at 10th and Main,

The Coalition of Progressive Electors (COPE) agreed to limit its council slate to two seats as part of a three-way deal cut early this month with Vision Vancouver and the Vancouver Green Party.

Sunday's council vote pitted two branches of the left wing party against each other. Woodsworth had been instrumental in helping to broker a deal between COPE and Vision. But Louis had fought tooth and nail against the alliance, which gave the storied left wing party only two of eight spots on council.

Asked what the razor-thin decision between two differing factions of COPE implied, Cadman said it only shows both Louis and Woodsworth had popular support.

"What it shows is, in COPE, there's democracy," Cadman said, contrasting the result with that of the ruling NPA, which vetted its council slate with no membership vote.

COPE members also nominated five candidates for Vancouver school board: Allan Wong, Jane Bouey, Al Blakey, Bill Bargeman and Alvin Singh.

COPE’s park board slate was acclaimed: incumbent Loretta Woodcock and former parks commissioner Anita Romaniuk.

Also at Sunday’s meeting, leaders of the left-of-centre electoral organization promised that the party would retire its 2002 debt before the November elections.

"The debt - the entire debt - will be paid off before the next election," said labour leader Bill Saunders Saunders, president of the Vancouver & District Labour Council. "We will ensure that COPE and Vision take responsibility with ... amounts that are equitable."

There is still much to be determined. COPE or Vision haven't yet agreed to anything except to sit down and hash out a deal with CUPE, the union that undersigned the debt, COPE organizer Ivan Bulic said.

"Vision may have a different number than we have," said Bullic, who wouldn't confirm exactly how big the debt is.

And while the debt may soon be a thing of the past, November's pending civic election means COPE is still in need of cash.

"We don't have the resources that we need to fight this campaign," Cadman told members in a plea for donations as COPE members David Chudnovsky and Terry Martin circled the room with donation boxes. "We need those resources." Vision and the ruling centre-right Non-Partisan Association, Cadman said, will raise $2 million each.

"So whatever you were thinking of giving," Cadman said, "add a zero."

Irwin Loy reports for Vancouver's daily 24 hours.