Jim Watson re-elected as Ottawa mayor for 2nd term

Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson will lead the City of Ottawa for a second straight termafter winning the electionin a landslide with 76 per cent of the vote, and he'll have eight new councillors at the table.

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With almost all polls counted, Watson had 76per cent of total votes. His next closest competitor, Mike Maguire, had 18.7per cent of the vote. No other candidates had more than two per cent of the total vote.

"Municipal campaigns are, really, very much a marathon and this campaign has been no different," Watson said in his victory speech on Monday night.

"I said this election was about continuing this progress we're making as a city and after thousands of doors, walking hundreds of kilometres, the votes are counted. Ottawa has spoken strongly and clearly that it wants to continue on the path we begun four years ago."

Voter turnout for the election projects to be about 39 per cent, the lowest turnout since 2003.

Council will have 8 new faces

The incumbent mayor's campaign centred around the second phase of the light rail project, as well as cleaning up the sewage problem in the Ottawa River.

Maguire, who finished second after a fifth-place finish in 2010, ran on a plan for a zero-per cent tax increase. His platform also included a plan to trash the second phase ofLRT.

Watson will lead a city council with eight new faces. His long-time friend Steve Desroches, as well as veteran colleagues Maria McRae, Peter Hume, Rainer Bloess, Diane Holmes and Doug Thompson all decided not to run for re-election.

Two sitting councillors were also defeated in the election: Kitchissippi councillor Katherine Hobbs, who lost to Jeff Leiper, and Rideau-Rockcliffecouncillor Peter Clark, who lostto Tobi Nussbaum.

The other new councillors joining the council include:

• Jody Mitic in Innes Ward.
• Catherine McKenney in Somerset.
• Riley Brockington in River Ward.
• Jean Cloutier in Alta Vista.
• George Darouze in Osgoode.
• Michael Qaqish in Gloucester-South Nepean.

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Watson, known for his busy and active schedule, was also the mayor of Ottawa from 1997 to 2000 and he previously served as city councillor from 1991 to 1997.

He spent seven years in provincial politics before returning to the municipal level in 2010 when he defeated Larry OBrien to become Ottawas mayor.

The official election results should be known by Thursday and the mayor and his councillors will be officially sworn in on Dec. 1.

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