A wave of change swept across Simcoe Muskoka on Monday as voters elected new municipal leaders, defeated a number of incumbents and returned a former mayor to office. Here’s how mayoral races played out and which new faces emerged across the region. Town of Innisfil In Innisfil, former deputy mayor Kenneth Fowler was elected mayor, defeating incumbent Lynn Dollin, who was seeking another term. With 5,705 votes, Fowler finished ahead of Dollin, Travis Romer and Dana Stott in the race. “The door knocking has stopped, but the work now truly begins,” Fowler said over social media. “I look forward to the good things this council will accomplish together.” Dollin congratulated the new council Monday night in a Facebook post. “Congratulations to Mayor Elect Fowler, Deputy Mayor Nicol and new and returning members of Council. I wish you much success as you begin your term and will do everything I can for a smooth transition,” Dollin said. City of Orillia In Orillia, former mayor Steve Clarke is returning to the mayor’s chair. Clarke, who previously served as mayor from 2014 to 2022, won 81.75 per cent of the vote, receiving 7,569 votes and defeating former councillor Whitney Joy Smith. Clarke succeeds Don McIsaac, who announced in May that he would not seek another term. “I’m very overwhelmed and gratified by the results. The response from the community during the campaign was wonderful and very supportive,” Steve Clarke told CTV News. Town of New Tecumseth New Tecumseth elected Stephanie MacLellan as its new mayor, defeating incumbent Richard Norcross. Representing Beeton, she was elected councillor in 2018 and later elected deputy mayor in 2022. MacLellan received 7,100 votes, while Norcross received 3,982 votes. Norcross had served as mayor since 2022. Township of Clearview In Clearview Township, Robert McArthur defeated incumbent Doug Measures, who was seeking re-election. McArthur received 3,076 votes compared with Measures’ 2,168, winning the race by 908 votes. Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Bradford West Gwillimbury will also have a new mayor after Nickolas Harper won the municipal race. Harper received 4,579 votes, defeating Peter Ferragine, who finished with 4,229. Raj Sandhu placed third with 2,792 votes, followed by Mauro Di Giovanni with 1,519. “At the end of the day, seeing the results, it’s an unreal feeling that I don’t think I can describe any other way,” Harper said to CTV News. “It represents what Bradford feels and wants. They wanted change and they got it.” Incumbent James Leduc, who received 1,497 votes, reflected on his defeat Monday night. “I just want to say thank you to the Bradford community for giving me 20 years,” Leduc told CTV News. “I spent 20 years on council, and I appreciate the support I’ve received over those two decades. The voters spoke loud and clear. They want a change.” Township of Tiny In Tiny Township, Dave Brunelle was elected mayor with 3,515 votes. David Kohler finished second with 2,661 votes, followed by incumbent Mayor David Evans with 2,194 and Chuck Stradling with 455. Evans had served as mayor since November 2022. Town of Huntsville Huntsville elected Scott Morrison as its next mayor. Morrison received 4,102 votes, defeating Dan Caswell, who finished second with 2,440 votes. Morrison succeeds Nancy Alcock, who served one term as mayor. Town of Gravenhurst In Gravenhurst, Jeff Watson won a closely contested four-way race for mayor. Watson received 1,869 votes, finishing 236 votes ahead of Jo Morphy, who received 1,633. Incumbent Heidi Lorenz, who was seeking re-election, finished with 1,460 votes, while Marc Mantha received 756. Town of Blue Mountains In The Blue Mountains, Marni Moreau was elected mayor with 2,469 votes, representing 41.1 per cent of the vote. Paul Reale finished close behind with 2,384 votes, or 39.7 per cent, while Peter Bordignon received 1,159 votes. Moreau succeeds Andrea Matrosovs, who did not seek re-election.
