From Brock to Scugog, here are Durham’s big winners in 2018’s civic elections

Durham has voted in five new mayors, as well as a new regional chair, following Monday night’s municipal election, but there are also some familiar faces who kept their leadership.

Here’s who won throughout the region:

John Henry – Regional Chair

John Henry left his position as Oshawa’s mayor to successfully run as Durham’s new regional chair. He won by a landslide; unofficial polling results show he earned nearly three-quarters of the Durham vote, and his win will make him the region’s first new full-term regional chair in 21 years.

He says his main priority is putting Durham Region on the map when it comes to attention from the province. “I’m hoping to make sure that if a mayor in a community gets a meeting with the premier that… the mayors of the other cities are right behind them, including the regional chairs, so they know that that issue is important to all residents.”

He had served Oshawa, Ont., as a councillor from 2006 to 2010, and Oshawa residents elected Henry as mayor in 2010 and re-elected him four years later.

Dan Carter – Oshawa Mayor

Winning with 69 per cent of the vote, Dan Carter beat out his six competitors in the mayoral race to replace Henry as the city of Oshawa’s leader.

“I am very emotional,” said Carter at his celebration party Monday night in downtown Oshawa. “I’m very humbled by the experience. I’m always overwhelmed when I see that people have put their trust in me.”

While campaigning, Carter promised to pay down debt, control spending as well as support entrepreneurship in the city.

He had been serving the city since 2014 as a regional and city councillor. Carter also used to be a broadcaster based in the region.

The road to leadership was not an easy one for Carter, who, from his teenage years until his early 30s, homelessness and alcoholism. “Recovery is possible,” he said. “Hope is strong.”

Don Mitchell – Whitby Mayor

Whitby, Ont., voters have re-elected Don Mitchell for a second term as mayor. He won by more than 70 per cent of the vote over his only competitor, Andrea Kennedy.

Mitchell grew up in the town and promises to prioritize bringing people to the community while maintaining what he describes as its small-town feel.

Before Whitby voted him in as mayor four years ago, Mitchell served the community as a councillor for 20 years.

Shaun Collier – Ajax Mayor

For the first time in more than 20 years, Ajax, Ont., has a new mayor.

After long-time mayor Steve Parish announced he was retiring from the role, Shaun Collier has snagged the mayoral seat. He edged out fellow former councillor and deputy mayor Colleen Jordan by nearly 10 per cent of the votes to win by 43 per cent.

Collier was first elected to become part of the Ajax town council in 2003 as a ward councillor, and since then, he has also served as a regional councillor.

As part of his platform, he promises to make the community safer and create more jobs.

Dave Ryan – Pickering Mayor

Dave Ryan’s re-election Monday makes him the longest-serving mayor in Pickering’s history. He won the top spot by 66 per cent over three other opponents.

Pickering, Ont., first elected him to council in 1994, and in 2003, he became Pickering’s leader.

Ryan highlights that among his top priorities is business development.

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Adrian Foster – Clarington Mayor

The majority of Clarington, Ont., voters wanted to bring back Adrian Foster as their mayor for a third term — he won 68 per cent of the votes in the municipality against Mark Canning and Matthew Marshall.

Foster says he has worked hard to better the community, including bringing a GO train station to Bowmanville.

Dave Barton – Uxbridge Mayor

Winning over 63 per cent of Uxbridge, Ont., voters earned Dave Barton top spot in the town.

Since 2015, he had served as a councillor in Uxbridge, and as mayor, he promises to revitalize downtown and to lobby higher levels of government to better the community’s internet speeds.

Bobbie Drew – Scugog Mayor

Scugog, Ont., has elected Bobbie Drew as its new mayor after she won 29 per cent of the vote.

Drew served as the township’s regional councillor over the past two terms.

The priorities she highlighted in her campaign include encouraging industrial growth to create jobs in the area and fixing roads.

Debbie Bath-Hadden – Brock Mayor

In a near 50-50 split vote between the only two mayoral candidates running in the township, Debbie Bath-Hadden beat out incumbent John Grant to become the mayor-elect of Brock. She earned 52 per cent of the vote, while Grant earned 48.

Bath-Hadden had served the township as a ward councillor for nine years and regional councillor/deputy mayor for four.

Her priorities, she says, include helping the homeless as well as engaging youth.