Russ Wyatt, the Winnipeg city councillor facing multiple sexual assault charges, will not return to city hall as the representative for Transcona.
Wyatt received just under 11 per cent of the vote and finished a distant fourth place, according to the unofficial results of Wednesday’s municipal election.
Lora Meseman takes over the role from the embattled, veteran politician. Speaking with 680 CJOB, Meseman said she is “excited and honoured” for the opportunity to represent her community. Meseman won the ward by a 460-vote margin, finishing just ahead of Shawn Nason who was the city councillor for Transcona from 2018 to 2022.
“The biggest thing is making sure the ward knows what we’re doing at city hall. Communication is a big thing, and being present,” she said.
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Speaking with Global News after the race was called, Wyatt said that he wished Meseman well.
Charges were laid against Wyatt twice in the past year. He was arrested in March, then again in August.
The initial charges were laid in relation to the alleged sexual assault of a man. Wyatt was also charged with administering a noxious thing with intent to aggrieve or annoy.
In August, police announced another sexual assault allegation against Wyatt in connection with a man police said Wyatt met in July 2023. In that case, Wyatt is accused of providing the man with a noxious substance to endanger life or cause bodily harm and sexually assaulting him at a home in southwest Winnipeg.
Wyatt has maintained his innocence, but said he believes the allegations played a role in how the election played out.
“I know I’m going to be okay. If you tell a lie you have to remember a lie, but if you tell the truth and you know the truth, it comes from your heart,” he continued. “I ran knowing that fact.”
Days after Wyatt’s August arrest, Mayor Scott Gillingham announced that he would bring a motion to Winnipeg city council to change the city charter.
As it stands, the City of Winnipeg Charter Act does not prevent people facing criminal charges from performing the duties of an elected official, including running for election or re-election. The exact details of how the revisions may be made to the city’s guiding document will be determined after the civic election and require approval from the Manitoba government.
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