Eight new faces on Chatham-Kent council

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Monday’s municipal election in Chatham-Kent was one for the history books. Eight of the newly-elected councillors are newcomers to the municipal scene, while mayor-elect Darrin Canniff is a council veteran, and Marjorie Crew returns as a Ward 6 representative after a four-year hiatus.

But gone are also some long-time veterans, including South Kent councillor Frank Vercourtern and West Kent councillor Bryan Fluker, both of whom measured their collective municipal experience in decades. Both lost Monday’s election.

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Gone also is incumbent Mayor Randy Hope, first elected in 2006 and seeking his fourth consecutive term. Hope trailed third in the municipal vote, behind front-runner Canniff and mayoral challenger Alysson Storey.

Canniff defeated five other candidates to claim the mayor’s job, finishing with 19,316 votes.

Storey finished second with 9,255 votes while Hope finished third with 4,722. The three remaining candidates – Harold Atkinson, Robert Salvatore Powers and Allan Traylor – amassed a total of 1,196 votes.

In West Kent, incumbent Mark Authier finished first with newcomer Melissa Harrigan taking the second seat.

South Kent saw incumbent Trevor Thompson returned to office with newcomers Anthony Ceccacci and Mary Clare Latimer joining him. Incumbent Vercoutern came fourth.

In East Kent, incumbent Steve Pinsonneault garnered the most votes, followed by newcomer John Wright.

North Kent saw incumbent Joe Faas returned to office. He will be joined by newcomer Jamie McGrail.

Incumbent Carmen McGregor was returned to Wallaceburg with first-time candidate Aaron Hall securing the second seat.

In Chatham, Crew led the polls, joined by incumbents Michael Bondy, Brock McGregor and Doug Sulman. A councillor several years ago, Crew had challenged Hope in the mayor’s election in 2014 but lost.

Newcomers Karen Kirkwood-Whyte and Amy Finn secured the remaining two seats.

Successful candidates for the Lambton-Kent District School Board were Derek Robertson, a former Chatham-Kent municipal councillor, Ruth Anne Dodman, Scott McKinlay, D. Randy Campbell and Janet Barnes.

Elected to the St. Clair Catholic District School Board were Carol Bryden, David Argenti, Brenda Rumble and John Van Heck.

Elected to the French Separate – Conseil Scolaire Catholique Providence were Louise Aitken and Robert Demers.

Voter turnout increased as 34,722 votes (45.44 per cent of eligible votes) were cast.

There were 32,783 votes cast (42.1 per cent of eligible votes) during the 2014 election. That percentage increased from 32,398 (39.9 per cent of eligible votes) during 2010.