Voters in the City of Peterborough delivered a message of change with a resounding victory for Diane Therrien in the race for mayor.
Therrien, 32, garnered nearly 69 per cent of the vote to defeat incumbent mayor Daryl Bennett in Monday’s municipal election.
Therrien spent the last four years as councillor for Town Ward, representing the city’s downtown area.
On Monday, she received 19,254 votes versus the 8,659 cast for Bennett, taking approximately 31 per cent of the vote.
28,030 electors cast their ballots in the election
The 70-year-old Bennett, a longtime businessman, was seeking a third consecutive term as mayor. Bennett was first elected mayor in 2010, defeating incumbent Paul Ayotte, and later won a second term in 2014.
Therrien ran on the campaign slogan “Expect More,” advocating for three criteria in building a strong community: jobs, taxes and infrastructure.
WATCH: Diane Therrien discusses her victory on The Morning Show on CHEX
Therrien’s victory wasn’t a huge surprise after recent polls. One survey conducted last week by a newspaper columnist indicated Therrien had a strong lead.
Elected to city council:
Ward 1 Otonabee: Kim Zippel and Lesley Parnell (incumbent)
Ward 2 Monaghan: Incumbents Don Vassiliadis and Henry Clarke
Ward 3 Town: Dean Pappas (incumbent) and Kemi Akapo
Ward 4 Ashburnham: Incumbents Gary Baldwin and Keith Riel
Ward 5 Northcrest: Andrew Beamer (incumbent) and Stephen Wright
More to come…