Mayoral race comes to conclusion
As voters across Ontario turned out to cast their ballots, Guelph’s mayoral election came to a conclusion on Monday, Oct. 27. With a total of 19,760 votes cast and 50.76 per cent of the voting population siding with his campaign, Cam Guthrie was elected as the new Mayor of Guelph, deposing incumbent Karen Farbridge.
Maintaining a lead the moment the results from online and advanced polls were posted, Guthrie was well ahead throughout the rest of the night.
Guthrie, joined by almost 100 supporters at the Cutten Fields Golf Course, thanked former-Mayor Farbridge for her commitment to the city. He further emphasized his desire to build a better Guelph, restating his campaign’s goals.
“I campaigned for a better Guelph, and we got it,” said Guthrie during his victory speech. “I will work hard for every one of you – whether you voted for me or not.”
In comparison to Guthrie, runner-up Farbridge managed to garner 14,170 votes, capturing 36.56 per cent of the population.
Farbridge, also joined by over 100 supporters, was stationed at Van Gogh’s Ear in downtown Guelph. In her concession speech, she thanked the city for giving her a chance to make a difference for the past 11 years.
“You have given me an incredible gift,” said Farbridge during her concession speech. “You have given me 11 years as your mayor. Those are the defining years of my life, and they will always be defining for me.”
She went on to thank her family and her husband for their support, emphasizing the toll political life has taken on them.
Third-place went to Jason Blokhuis, with a total of 3987 votes cast, and 10.29 per cent of the population in his favour. The remaining four mayoral candidates, led by University of Guelph graduate Andrew Donovan, captured a total of 927 votes collectively – a mere 2.39 per cent of the voting population.
In spite of the atmosphere on election night, this year’s elections were marked with a considerable amount of scornful politicking.
Guelph’s former mayor was heavily criticized for her use of political attack ads, seemingly implicating of political Guthrie with Michael Sona, the Conservative campaign worker convicted of the robocall election fraud in the 2011 Federal Election.
Furthermore, many were upset with what they saw as a seven-person race with only two real competitors.
However, on Monday night, politicking seemed to have been the furthest thing from the minds of Guthrie, Farbridge, and the remaining candidates.
Farbridge’s concession speech thanked her supporters, while highlighting the positive aspects of her term as mayor.
“I know [my record has] built a strong city,” said Farbridge. “I know it’s built a strong community, and I know that because it was always based on engaging the community, it was always based on consultation, it was always based on engagement.
“That’s where I’ve always drawn my strength from, and that’s why I can stand here in front of you very well grounded, because of that strength you’ve given me.”
In terms of next steps, Farbridge is uncertain of her future plans, but added that she is excited for what comes next.
For Mayor Guthrie, what comes next is a fulfilment of his political promises. He plans on gathering all of the newly-elected councillors in order to discuss their goals for the term. Furthermore, he plans on meeting with city staff to start building new relationships.
“We will take a close look at every capital project going forward,” said Guthrie. “I got a strong mandate tonight.”
While citizens will be looking to newly-elected Mayor Guthrie in the next few months to see if he is able to maintain his promises, equally important to those following the race is the actual physical data gathered from the elections.
Voter turn-out was a popular issue amongst the candidates, and in a municipality of 86,574 voters, roughly 44.96 per cent – or 38,926 people – showed up to cast a ballot. Compared to the last municipal election in 2010, with a total voter turnout of slightly over 34 per cent, 2014’s election showed a marked increase, with roughly 10 per cent more people casting a ballot.
This increase is likely attributed to the addition of online voting. Beginning on Oct. 7, voters were able to cast ballots online until Oct. 24. Compared to the 6 possible days available for in-person voters, online voters were given a total of 18 days to cast a ballot.
For individuals concerned with low turnout, increased voting time seems to have circumvented those concerns.