The 2010 municipal election is finally over, after many months of non-stop campaigning. It sure was fun to watch, at times, and there were some heated moments in the Mayoral and Ward 18 Councillor races right down to the final moments of voting. Now it's time to look forward to what our new elected officials will bring us. Here are the local results taken from The City of Toronto's election results page:
| Mayor |
| Candidate |
Total votes |
% of total votes |
| Rob Ford |
383501 |
47.114% |
| George Smitherman |
289832 |
35.607% |
| Joe Pantalone |
95482 |
11.73% |
| Councillor - Ward 18 |
| Candidate |
Total votes |
% of total votes |
| Ana Bailão |
6277 |
43.754% |
| Kevin Beaulieu |
4911 |
34.233% |
| Frank de Jong |
869 |
6.057% |
| Hema Vyas |
776 |
5.409% |
| Joe MacDonald |
669 |
4.663% |
| Kirk Russell |
326 |
2.272% |
| Nha Le |
154 |
1.073% |
| Ken Wood |
106 |
0.739% |
| Mohammad Muhit |
94 |
0.655% |
| Joanna Teliatnik |
70 |
0.488% |
| Doug Carroll |
52 |
0.362% |
| Abdirazak Elmi |
42 |
0.293% |
| Totals |
14346 |
100% |
| Toronto Disctrict School Board - Ward 9 |
| Candidate |
Total votes |
% of total votes |
| Maria Rodrigues |
8400 |
54.418% |
| John Costa |
2773 |
17.964% |
| Andrew Waters |
2065 |
13.378% |
| Anil Gupta |
1595 |
10.333% |
| Helder Gomes |
603 |
3.906% |
| Totals |
15436 |
100% |
| Toronto Catholic Disctrict School Board - Ward 10 |
| Candidate |
Total votes |
% of total votes |
| Barbara Poplawski |
3253 |
34.006% |
| Julia D'Andrade |
2364 |
24.713% |
| Mark Lubinski |
2058 |
21.514% |
| André Bastian |
1195 |
12.492% |
| Anthony Moscato |
696 |
7.276% |
| Totals |
9566 |
100% |
| Conseil Scolaire de District du Centre Sud-Ouest - Ward 3 |
| Candidate |
Total votes |
% of total votes |
| Jean-François L'Heureux |
1657 |
65.937% |
| Denys Bégin |
856 |
34.063% |
| Totals |
2513 |
100% |
| Conseil Scolaire de District Catholique Centre-Sud - Ward 4 |
| Candidate |
| Claude-Reno D'Aigle |
ACCLAIMED |
What are your thoughts? Where do we go from here?
Comments
Kevin Beaulieu Back at City Hall?
Unconfirmed tweet say Kevin will be the new executive assistant to Kristyn Wong-Tam
the new councillor for Ward 27 Toronto Centre-Rosedale. Smart move and proof the big party machines pay back.
For new on our own Ana Bailao justfollow my blog http://davenportdemocracy.blogspot.com/
Kevin will be working there.
Kevin will be working there.
Things for Ana Bailao to take note of in #ward18
Things for Ana Bailao to take note of in #ward18 http://tinyurl.com/2g3vqrq
New hope, New Time ?
Thanks to Scott D who said I had the most suprising platform with detailed issues. I hope to keep up to that standard by reminding our new Cuty Councillor, Ana Bailao, of that.
There always seems to be a big deflation of civic engagement and interest just post election, probably due to the longggg campaign period. Voter fatigue? I also met a felloow candidate who was very negative about the results, effectively saying what's the point of running against the Portugese backed winner and why should we have bothered. I disagree. Losing while still being engaged and bringing up important issues is not a waste of time. We all provided the ward with a choice, and 75% of the ward is NOT Portugese.
Ana got 44% of the vote, meaning of those who did vote (53.7% turnout), 56% voted for someone else. And looking further, Ana got elected by only 23.5% of elgible voters... Yet over 12 THOUSAND people didn't even bother to vote. Sad, really.
Nonetheless, Ana is the duly elected City Councillor for our ward and we must ALL give her our support, no matter our ppartisan or personal ideologies. She has promised some good things and I hope she follows through starting December 1 when she is officially in office. (First City Council meeting is December 7 and 8: http://tinyurl.com/2ehy7qw
Good luck, Ana because we all know Davenport Deserves Better than what we had.
You're a real class act, Ken.
You're a real class act, Ken.
typo not stupid comment
lol ... Just noticed I typed "Cuty Councillor" not "City Councillor"
Be advised, not intentional, I am a hunt and peck typist, no disrespect intended.
JT Election Awards
Well now that the dust has settled it is time for the JT Awards based on satirical or sadly true aspects of the last election campaign. I am leaving out the two main contenders as there has been enough about them so instead some observations about the rest.
Most Surprising Platform
Hands down this belongs to Ken Wood. His platform was the most detailed on municipal issues that relate to the average citizen. When Ken calms down and stops chaining himself to things he has some good ideas. I found that I agreed with almost all of his ideas to some extent and I encourage people to look again. If he stays focused on ideas then he has something to contribute via his blog. Special kudos for being basically the only candidate to state clearly that poverty is an issue and that not all ward residents have the relative luxury that I have. As well if we had a Hunter S. Thompson look a like award he would get it.
Angriest Candidate
With attack robo-call ads, attack flyers, and non-stop attacks during debates, Joe Macdonald may have attracted a few other angry souls with his “mad as hell” routine but everybody else backed away. “Tough. Direct. Experienced Leadership” Grrrrrrrrrrr.
Troll Award
RBMorra: If you are suddenly going to show up on a community blog pretending to be a concerned citizen at least pick a fake name so that we cant find your non-stop partisan attacks on your Twitter account of the same name. : )
Biggest Disappointment
Heyma Veyas is a smart cookie who cares about the community. Sadly, her platform was vaporware and platitudes. In some cases, such as her development platform, which completely left out the marketplace, industry and zoning, she showed that she really doesn’t understand how the process works. In a ward that features a lot of undeveloped land with savvy and funded developer lobbyists (and their candidate) it was clear that she has not been through the process nor did she understand it. With so many intelligent people backing her it is surprising that she had so little content. While her plank to improve the situation for pedestrians and seniors was refreshing, her “I know how to stretch a dollar” was a greeting card, not a platform.
Most Over Earnest Messaging Award
Kirk Russell: “The Kirk Russell Movement is about change; not just in the way politics is managed, but also in the way campaigns are run.” There is waaaaay more where that came from.
Think Globally Loose Locally Award
Frank de Jong is a great guy but why does he run? Is it to keep his profile alive for a future position in the Green Party (when they decide if they lean left or right) ? Is it to keep ideas in the public eye? A bit of both? De Jong had this local platform: “electric trains”, “stop people driving through our community”, “shut down the strip club near my house”. On his website de Jong had a lot to say but almost all of it were ideas and concepts that have no connection to municipal government except for his positions on municipal taxes. He says on his website that he “produced a good showing -- third place out of 12 candidates!” but that was just 6% of the vote. De Jong should stop running in municipal elections until he has a full platform that includes local bread and butter ideas for real working people instead of taking votes away from other candidates who would act green locally. Less big picture more little picture please.
The Pretzel Award
In the end it was Joe MacDonald who got the call to join Cirque du Soleil as a contortionist as he out-twisted himself trying to decide if he was an insider or an outsider or if he was happy or full of rage. His colour flyer had a happy side where the headline was “Building the community...Together” featuring Happy Joe in a bunch of shots standing in front of things. The other side was Angry Joe slamming other candidates and declaring “Who can we trust?” (Not the use of “we”). The icing on the Cake of Anger was a list of accusations against un-named candidates most importantly that they were political insiders, followed at the bottom 2 inches away, by Angry Joe boasting of being a provincial government insider! It was the best of Joes, it was the worst of Joes.
Worst Platitude Award
Its hard to pick one as there were so many that it disgusted me. Never mind “change” whatever that means but I will go nuts if I hear any more “I will make every dollar count”, “I will roll up my sleeves and go over the budget with a fine tooth comb”, “I will bring you to the table”, “My mother knew how to stretch a dollar”. Should Sarah Palin have run in our ward too ? You betcha.
Shooting Fish In A Barrel Award
Joanna Teliatnik: “There is a major amount of untapped talent in the Ward, some of which I am already aware of, and more that I need to find.” Maybe if you had lived in the ward in the last 20 years you might know more people here than at Kipling and 401 where you live.
I will Scare You Into Voting For Me Award
Joe MacDonald: “On October 25 you can vote out of fear...” I did, for somebody else.
I Can’t Stop Loving Me Award
Kirk Russell: “...Kirk exudes a distinct sense of confidence and energy, and embodies a strong work ethic and a passion for achievement. His assertiveness, however, is tempered by modesty, humility, and a deep awareness of the responsibilities that come with power; like being a role model to his son and daughter....”. There is more where this came from and it’s really funny.
Creepiest Promise Award
Kirk Russell: “My team and I will be on the streets of Davenport with little notebooks and cameras, listening to peoples’ concerns and getting a new and fresh perspective on our community; making sure to leave no stone unturned.”
The Nha Le Award
For attending the Junction Triangle meet and greet at Boo Radleys and spending the entire night at the bar drinking and watching baseball, this years winner is.....Nha Le! How does he do it election after election? If judging by past campaigns his goal to eventually get zero votes, he is on his way.
Lastly
The good news is that next time we will have an incumbent so we will have less nutbars so that more campaign time can be spent on people who are credible candidates than those living in a dream world although this year it was sometime hard to tell which was which.
Ana Bailao Undecided ?
What Does Ana Bailo Stand For
Which Way Will She Vote? undecided...undecided...undecided ?
http://www.thestar.com/staticcontent/883047
* UNDECIDED on... Do you support making the TTC an essential service to prevent future strikes? Others = 10 yes; 13 no; 9 undecided; 12 won't say
* UNDECIDED on... Do you support contracting out residential garbage service? Others = 11 yes;10 no; 11 undecided; 12 won't say
* UNDECIDED on... Do you support cutting city funding to Gay Pride and other parades such as Caribana? 2 yes; 17 no; 13 undecided; 12 won't say
* UNDECIDED on... Do you support cutting the size of council from 44 to 22? 7 yes; 17 no; 8 undecided; 12 won't say
* UNDECIDED on... Do you support eliminating the fair wage policy? 6 yes; 14 no; 12 undecided; 12 won't say
-----
The cagiest councillors who "won't say" are the ones who did not respond to The Star survey:
Mark Grimes, Anthony Perruzza, Josh Colle, Karen Stintz, John Filion, David Shiner, Jaye Robinson, Paula Fletcher, Michael Thompson, Mike Del Grande, Norm Kelly and Ron Moeser.
---
What is Ana's plan? To see what goodies she might get by voting for the Ford team? Or will she wait to see which bandwagon is the most popular at City Hall so she can be on the winning side?
Very strange....
Undecided
If she is going to reply undecided on all acounts then she might as well have not replied. I actually would have preferred that she did not reply. This is one of the reasons why I did not vote for her.
Peter Ferreira finally got elected to something somewhere
Peter Ferreira finally got elected to something somewhere so now the NDP can finally choose a great candidate from our area and with the diesel train issue they have a chance to beat Tony "I refuse to make my attendance record public" Ruprecht.
http://peterferreira.ca/about/about.htm
Ward 18 would have elected Smitherman
The City has posted per-ward and per-poll results on their website. Of course, people were quick to map and analyze these results.
Torontoist has a great map that shows a clear downtown (or old City of Toronto) vs. Megacity (or Metro Toronto) divide when it comes to choice for mayor. Not surprisingly, Ward 18 chose Smitherman and even Pantalone almost beat Ford here:
A few commenters on that Torontoist article also posted some interesting map mashups:
Anyone else find this stuff interesting??
If I knew where each Ward 18 poll was located, it would be fun to do a Ward 18 version of a map like this, to see who the residents of the Junction Triangle would have chosen as councillor and mayor.
Implications of Amalgamation
Was Ford the only candidate who understood the significance of amalgamation and the importance of campaigning outside the old city? Personally I think dealing with heavy traffic by getting rid of streetcars is like trying to douse a fire with kerosene. I think the most remarkable feature of the campaign was the communication failures of candidates who had reasonable platforms. Ford campaigned across the whole region, he started early, he talked about real concerns that people had. He had stupid answers, but he showed up. I think inattention from the other candidates may have been interpreted as contempt.
Ward 18 is interesting as it includes some very different communities, but I don't think the values are that different.
Values are different, that's why Ford won
Warren wrote:
I disagree. There's no consensus on urban values in this neighbourhood. I think that's shown by the disputes over the Lansdowne-narrowing and the community garden at Erwin Kickhahn. It's also shown over different opinions about local crime and what should be done about it. Look at the people who show up for Clean Train events. Can anyone say with a straight face they are a representative cross-section of the people who live here?
I know Jack Fava is not popular with people who post on this site and he brings a lot of that on himself, but like it or not he reflects the thinking of a lot of people in this area.
I don't know if Ford's opponents neglected the inner suburbs in their campaigns, though it's possible. I think, however, many people downtown who think Miller did a good job take it for granted that most people in Toronto share their values. That smugness has a political cost.
There's an old story that is true. Some famous person who lived in Manhattan - I don't remember who - was flabbergasted after Nixon beat McGovern in a rout because all of her friends voted for McGovern. She either didn't realize or forgot that Manhattan isn't the United States. People who live in fly-over country also vote as do people in Etobicoke, North York and Scarborough.
I didn't vote for Ford, because I don't think he'd be a good mayor, but a part of me is glad he won if for no other reason than his victory has shaken things up. I don't think there's much to be gained by bashing Ford, even though on my Twitter feed I said he's not fit to be mayor.
There are a lot of voters in Toronto who sincerely believe the city government is waging a war against cars and they resent it, just like they resent the presence of bicycles on downtown streets. They also resent spending on the arts and grants to community groups. There are small businesses that feel they are being hurt by high taxes. There is anger over the St. Clair streetcar right of way. That resentment and anger is there and it's not going to go away anytime soon.
More election result maps
Patrick Cain has some excellent maps and commentary on his website too:
http://www.patrickcain.ca/?cat=13
Sounds like he might take a stab at ward-level results.
Congratulations to Ana
Ana has spent a lot of time canvasing the ward not only in this campaign but previously as well. She put a great deal of work into a successful candidacy.
With his name on the ballot for the first time I think Kevin did a great job building recognition as a legitimate contender.
With a campaign team being so important I think it is great to see an independent candidate do as well as Hema.
I support extending municipal voting to all residents and also ranked ballots. These reforms would improve democracy somewhat. But we should remember that ALL candidates have contributed to democracy by giving us choices. This is the most critical element of a vibrant democracy.
So I hope many people will join me in applauding and thanking all of the candidates for ward 18 and in wishing Ana luck in securing strong support for ward 18 from the city.
Great Voter Turnout But Still Questions
Voter turnout up from 35% to almost 54% ! Something to be happy about.
Yet of all eligible voters, Ana got the support of 23.5% of them.
12,391 people who could have did NOT vote.
Were they of the 'None of the Above' persuasion or just didn't care or were lazy?
Or - to put it another way, more people who did vote voted for someone OTHER THAN Ana.
We really, really, really need ranked ballots so people can express true priorities.
By the way - my "Aftermath" take on the results here:
http://davenportdemocracy.blogspot.com/2010/10/aftermath.html
Kevin didnt loose to Ana, he
Kevin didnt loose to Ana, he lost to three other progessive candidates, none who had a chance of winning, who took enough votes away so that no progressive could win. Hope they feel happy now.
Dont Blame Others For Kevin's Loss
Every person who ran had the right to run. Never assume votes that went to others would have gone to any particular candidate - they may in fact have not voted at all.
When you look at the platforms of the other progressives you mention, they were decidely different in many respects. So - choice was offered.
In my view, Kevin lost because of his loyalty and ties to Giambrone and Miller.
Yes he showed personal integrity in not deserting his former boss and mentor, but he could have done more to distance himself from some of their mistakes. I remember the very first Torontoist interview (one he got before even registering) and it was said he'd have to show he was his own man. Instead, a tightly controlled NDP machine underestimated the crafty/sneaky Bailao Liberal machine.
Well fought, but in the end we all have to accept the outcomes.
(Still cannot help wondering how things would have been different with ranked ballots....)
Ana Bailão is a not well informed
In her personal website (www.anabailao.ca ) Ana Bailão she says “I was born in V. Franca de Xira and raised in a town called Alenquer in Portugal. I spent my childhood surrounded by lush gardens, mountains and the Mediterranean Sea.” Romantic indeed but NOT accurate… Does she mean that Alenquer, or even Vila Franca de Xira, are surrounded by the Mediterranean sea? Well, as “we” all should know Alenquer is not surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea for two main reasons: it is not a coastal town and because Portugal is of course not surrounded by the Mediterranean but rather by the great, vast Atlantic Ocean. The only part of the Portuguese coast that has some Mediterranean Sea is the Algarve and even then that water mass is more like a gateway to the Mediterranean rather than the Mediterranean itself….So European (and Portuguese) geography must be revisited but the degree has been granted so perhaps it is too late…and the city seat has been awarded also…so lets hope the geography of the new dwelling place is well known for the novice councilor... Using one's ethnic card to win (which is of course common in Toronto) should entail at least knowing one's place of birth fairly well...but one does not need to be educated or even well informed to win a political seat...following the advice of 'The Prince' may just suffice...
Ana and birth place
Amusing....
I volunteered with Kevin's
I volunteered with Kevin's campaign, and the idea that there was an "NDP machine" directing or controlling things is nonsense. Frankly, I found the NDP-bashing by so-called "independent progressives", in this ward and others very offputting. I vote NDP because in my opinion they are the party that best reflects my "progressive" values. If a candidate shares those values, I don't understand why they would sneer at NDP voters rather than trying to build bridges with them.
Really I think Kevin's campaign did a great job of bringing diverse progressive communities together. Students, environmentalists, cyclists, transit geeks, neighborhood groups... and yes, union members and NDP supporters... came together and worked really hard. Unfortunately it wasn't enough this time.
Shoot In A Circle
True. There were NDP people as you would expect considering that Kevin is a progressive. I saw a lot of Liberals and unaffiliated helpers too. Hardly a machine. I did see squads of Ana lawyers at polling stations such as Wallace Emerson poll 4 though. Cheri Di Novo likes to quip about the joke that progressives like to get in a circle and open fire and in this case she may not be too are from the truth. It shows that progressives can suffer from the same ego issues as everybody else. As a progressive thinking person I would have not run in the ward considering it was clear from day 1 that it was between Kevin and Ana. We should have a progressive knowledgeable on council for the next 4 years protecting the quality of life in the ward but we don't and it did not have to happen.
Triangulated Gunfire
I like the shooting in a circle reference. We stick with what we are good at.
Earlier in the year there was some dust kicked up over the choice of moderator for a mayoral debate. In the debate itself the moderator used the occasion to resurrect the issue of panhandling. This struck me as being particularly not 'of this place'. I think the issue of the safety of our children is far more important. In particular the boys and girls club has experienced some turbulence lately. I hope it does not come to be seen as an opportunity to 'cut waste'. This might be a good time to rally to the cause. I would not substitute my own voice for those around me. Perhaps this would be a good opportunity to use your own voice (or keyboard) to welcome Ana to her new role in our community and gently remind her that some people round here are a touch sensitive about our kids. Or, if your values are different than mine feel free to express that.
ana and kevin
I agree it's time to extend congratulations to Ana. I voted for Kevin and hoped he would get in. But I was impressed by how hard Ana worked to gather support over a period of many months. She must have been at my door at least five times. Let's hope she works as hard for our community as our councillor, and that as a neighbourhood we can forge a good relationship with her and her office, the way many of us did with Adam, Kevin and those who worked for them.
Here, Here
Well put Kristen!
"As a progressive thinking
Let me play Devil's Advocate:
Ana registered on 27-Jan-10.
Hema: 09-Feb-10
Frank: 23-Apr-10
Kevin: 28-Apr-10
Should we have stopped taking "progressive" nominations after Hema joined on February 9th? :) Should Hema and Frank have stepped aside once Kevin decided to run?
I don't like either of those scenarios. Kevin was also my #1 choice, but it doesn't mean that others should stay out.
The filing dates don't mean
The filing dates don't mean anything. Heyma was planning on running in Parkdale and talked with Kevin's campaign team before she switched to ward 18. People already knew who was planning to run.
In Calgary a reverse situation, Naheed K. Nenshi did engage a lot of new voters and used social media etc etc but the right vote was split between two higher profile candidates and slipped up the middle. Right wingers can't believe they let this one slip away.
I am not saying people should or should not run, but in theory you should be a slave to the vision and making that happen.
An Even Sillier Comparison
Had Kevin and Joe MacDonald not run, perhaps Frank de Jong would have gotten their votes, giving him 6449 votes to Ana's 6277 votes and he would have won!
See how progressives split the vote?
...just kidding....
I know you are kidding Ken.
I know you are kidding Ken. But people who study the way people vote know that a race in an incumbent ward is different than in an open one. Open races attract more candidates of all levels; wing nuts, honourable but unelectable, and contenders. Hence people running who lived nowhere near and knew nothing about Ward 18, a few nutbars who never made any effort to meet residents, and a group that in theory would agree on more things than they would disagree with. In the case of the progressives they together got over 50% of the vote but ended up putting a less than progressive candidate in office. Egos aside, 50% of the ward would have preferred a more progressive candidate. Those are the numbers.
Ranked ballot and instant runoff?
I wonder if the results would have been any different if we had a ranked ballot with an instant runoff. Such a ballot might have solidified Ana's win to over 50%, or it might have put Kevin ahead once some of the less popular names were dropped. Or maybe even Ken's scenario would have come out. :) Either way, we would have elected someone who was supported by at least half of the voters.
A really interesting race was in Ward 10. See results here. In that ward, James Pasternak won with only 19.156% of the vote! The top four contenders were all within 4% of each other, and fifth place was only 8% behind. No real clear "winner" that represents the wishes of the whole ward very well. A ranked ballot with instant runoff probably would have cleared things up in that ward too.
Election
We might as well change our city name to Detroit right now.