Scott Gillingham will be Winnipeg's next mayor after tight race

Scott Gillingham will be Winnipeg's next mayor after a tight race, where he and his closest rival remainedneck-and-neck up until the lastballotswere counted.

With all polls reporting just before 10 p.m. CT,Gillinghamhad received 27.54 per cent of the ballots cast.The second-place candidate, former Winnipeg mayor Glen Murray, got 25.29 per cent.

Gillingham, who was previously a city councillor,prevailed Wednesday evening bya margin of 4,391 votes.

"What a night," Gillingham said to applause as he came out to address supporters at the Clarion Hotel shortly after 10 p.m.

"Next week, it will be my high honour to serve and to govern and to lead this city."

Winnipeg's mayor-electsaid once he's sworn in on Nov. 1, his first priority will betopull the 15 other members of the new citycouncil together to develop a strategic plan.

"It's important that every councillor from across the 15 wards of this city has a part in building the plan for the city's future," he said in an interview after being elected Wednesday evening.

"All of those people need to have a seat at the table and a voice in the plan we're going to build."

Gillingham wasfirst electedas a city councillor in 2014 in the ward now known as St. James.

WATCH | Scott Gillingham addresses supporters after win:

Gillingham promises unity

2 years ago

Duration 9:08

Winnipeg mayor-elect Scott Gillingham vowed to unify the city in his victory speech Wednesday night after a tight race against former mayor Glen Murray.

He was re-elected in 2018 and resigned from his roles on council's executive policy committee and as finance chair in April to run in a race to replace Brian Bowman, whoannounced in 2020he would not run for a third term as mayor.

Bowman congratulated Gillinghamon his win on TwitterWednesday night.

"Look forward to working with you in the coming days to ensure a smooth and orderly transition," the outgoing mayor wrote.

Voting results earlier Wednesday evening initially showed Murray in the lead something hereferenced in hisconcession speech.

"For a few minutes there, we knew what it felt like to win. And it was exciting. It was exciting because we've worked so hard," Murray told supporters aroundat the Fort Garry Hotel shortly after the final results came in.

"I want to congratulate councillor Gillingham on his victory," he said. "I'm committing to support the new mayor and council."

With all votes counted in Winnipeg'scity council races, 12 incumbent councillors willreturn to city hall.

WATCH | Glen Murray concedes to Gillingham:

Murray concedes to Gillingham

2 years ago

Duration 7:54

Glen Murray thanked his supporters in his concession speech Wednesday night after a tight race that saw Scott Gillingham take the seat as Winnipeg's next mayor.

There will also beone new councillor Evan Duncan inCharleswood-Tuxedo-Westwood and two former councillors returning after an absence from city hall (Russ Wyatt in Transcona and Shawn Dobson in St. James).

Rivals congratulate Gillingham

Two othermayoral hopefuls congratulated Gillingham in their concession speeches earlier Wednesday evening.

"It looks like councillor Gillingham will now be mayor Gillingham, and I want to give him my full support," mayoral rival and former Charleswood-Tuxedo-Westwood Coun. Kevin Klein told supporters in a speech just after 9 p.m.

Social entrepreneur Shaun Loney also offered Gillingham his support.

WATCH | Kevin Klein offers Gillingham 'full support':

Kevin Klein concedes as Scott Gillingham elected next Winnipeg mayor

2 years ago

Duration 2:32

Kevin Klein vacated his council seat in Charleswood-Tuxedo-Westwood to run for mayor. He conceded Wednesday night as former city councillor Scott Gillingham was elected as Winnipeg's next mayor.

"I also wanted to congratulate what appears to be mayor Gillingham. He and I had some issues on the campaign, disagreements about policy. I want to offer him my full support," Loney told his supporters.

"It's time to pull together now as Winnipeggers and I am fully prepared to do that and want to wish him the best in his new role and hope he hits the ground running."

Klein and Loney were the third- and fourth-place finishers, with 14.8 per cent and 14.7 per cent of the vote, respectively.

Political scientist Chris Adams said it's unusual to see acandidate winWinnipeg's mayoral race with under 30 per cent of the popular vote.

WATCH | 'Time to pull together,' says Shaun Loney:

Shaun Loney concedes as Scott Gillingham elected next Winnipeg mayor

2 years ago

Duration 2:17

Winnipeg mayoral candidate Shaun Loney conceded Wednesday night as former city councillor Scott Gillingham was elected mayor.

"We've never seen that historically in Winnipeg," Adams, an adjunct professor in political studies at the University of Manitoba, said earlier Wednesday evening on CBC's live election results show.

"This would be historic, that [we see] somebody winning less than 30 per cent."

Gillingham's win marks the lowest percentage of the popular votea Winnipeg mayor has gotten in modern elections. Prior to this, the lowest was in 1995, whenSusan Thompson won with 38.3 per cent.

It's also the closest mayoral race the city has seen since 1977, when Robert Steen defeated Bill Norrie by1,819 votes or 1.24 percentage points.

Gillingham emerged victorious after a long campaign period with a crowded pool of candidates vying for the spot.

The first candidate to step up for the top seat camesix months after Bowman's first announcedhe would not run for re-election.In the past six months,10 more registered.

Robert-Falcon Ouellettewon 7.7 per cent of the vote, Jenny Motkaluk 3.8 per cent,Rana Bokhari three per cent and Rick Shone 1.3 per cent.

Don Woodstock,Idris Adelakun andChris Clacio each had less than one per cent.

WATCH | Winnipeg Votes 2022:

Winnipeg Votes 2022

2 years ago

Duration 2:30:02

CBC Manitoba's special coverage of the 2022 Winnipeg mayoral election.