Former Ontario Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca has been elected as Mayor of Vaughan just months after his party was defeated and he failed to win a seat in June’s provincial election.
Del Duca faced a tight race against Sandra Yeung Racco, a former councillor.
Live election results from the City of Vaughan put Del Duca on 22,699 votes over his rival’s 21,848 votes with 133 of 133 polls counted.
As a percentage Del Duca won 38.06 per cent of the vote compared to 36.64 for Racco.
He will replace the outgoing Maurizio Bevilacqua who did not run for another term.
Former mayor Bevilacqua endorsed Del Duca to replace him in a statement at the beginning of October.
“I am voting for Steven Del Duca because he has the experience, energy and vision to continue delivering strong, stable and accountable leadership at city hall,” he said.
After Bevilacqua endorsed him, Del Duca released a series of municipal promises he dubbed the “Bevilacqua-Del Duca Accord.” The pledge was made up of 10 priorities from the previous administration Del Duca said he would continue.
Del Duca held cabinet positions in the former Ontario Liberal government under Kathleen Wynne. He served as MPP for Vaughan from 2012 to 2018.
He announced his candidacy for Mayor of Vaughan in August.
Polls in Vaughan closed at 8 p.m. although some locations were extended “due to technical administrative challenges” that were “impacting standard voting hours,” the City of Vaughan said on Monday.
The municipality said ballots “continue to be cast” adding that “all votes are being counted.”
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