Ward 14 candidate to call for recount in Hamilton after losing council race by 79 votes

A Ward 14 councillor candidate in Hamilton who lost in Monday's municipalelection by 79 votes said he plans on requestinga recount.

Kojo Damptey, the formerexecutive director of the Hamilton Centre for Civic Inclusion and a sessional instructor at McMaster University, came in a close second in his ward with 2,531 votes, just behindMichael Spadafora, who had 2,610 votes. The count made it the closest race in the city.

Spadaforaispresident of Hamilton Kilty Bs Junior Hockey Club, as well as director of hockey operations and general manager of the Hamilton Huskies Hockey Club.He ran as the Progressive Conservative member of provincial parliament candidate for Hamilton Mountain during the provincial election earlier this year.

The two candidates were among sevenvying to replaceTerry Whitehead, thelong-time Mountain politician, who didnot runfor re-election.

Damptey told CBC Hamilton Tuesday that due to the close result,"irregularities at the polls"and what he alleges were illegalcampaign tactics bySpadafora, he'll be asking for a recount.

Some voters on Monday faced delays at polling stations, while others told CBC Hamiltonwhen they weren't on the voters' list, they were told to come back. The city also faced criticism before the election due to the limited time some people had to send in their mail-in ballots.

Dampteyalso saidSpadaforaviolated election laws byhavingsigns in places they didn't belong and thatresidents reportedlyreceived robocallsthat falsely statedthe outgoing Mayor Fred Eisenberger endorsed Spadafora.

"Those are two things that, to me, raise red flags," Damptey said.

Spadaforadidn'trespond to several requests for comment from CBC Hamilton.

Eisenberger's spokespersonAlia Khansaid the officereceived a report from a resident Monday about arobocall that took place during the campaign.

"Mr. Spadafora reached out through a third party for an endorsement to the Mayor, and a conversation was had,however, in the end, an endorsement to Mr. Spadafora was never provided," she wrote.

City spokespersonAntonella Giancarlotold CBC Hamilton as of Tuesday afternoon, the city hadn'treceived a formal request for a recount.

When asked about any improperly placedsigns and robocalls, Giancarlosaid the bylaw department "advised theyreceived complaints, but did not issue charges."

TheMunicipal Elections Act states a recount can take place if there's a tie, if city council passes a resolution to do a recount or if someone applies to the Superior Court of Justice for a recount and the court orders the clerk to recount.