Ward 3 councillor-elect Ben Durham has received more than 500 messages since defeating incumbent Peter Cuddy in northeast London. Durham says he waited until every poll result was reported before celebrating a narrow 208 vote victory. “We won!” the 32-year-old video producer recalled shouting alongside his supporters. “It was pretty incredible.” The winning campaign included going door-to-door six, and sometimes seven days a week in northeast London since Durham registered as a candidate in May. “It was consistency. I was out [door knocking],” he explained. “When you look at a map of how many addresses there are in this ward, oh my goodness, there are so many!” Durham was the only challenger to defeat a member of council, joining three other rookie councillors who ran in races without an incumbent. Ward 4 Councillor-Elect Tom Cull also credits a well-planned door-to-door campaign supported by a dedicated team. “I had on any given night, three to four people canvasing with me,” Cull told CTV News. “That enabled us to cover the ward once and then go back and talk to people again.” Meanwhile, in northwest London, newly elected Ward 7 Councillor Jonathan Sher says doorstep discussions influenced his campaign. “[Residents] are feeling squeezed by both rising property taxes, about 24 per cent this current term, and also what they see as a real slip in core services [like] snow removal, road capacity, and even safety,” Sher explained. Trained as a lawyer and now teaching at Western Law, voters chose the former journalist from a field of eight candidates. “You need to work cooperatively with other councillors, and you need to work respectfully with staff. That’s what I try to do as a journalist. That’s what I will try to do as an incoming councillor,” he added. Jason King, the Ward 14 councillor-elect, will be the fourth newcomer taking a seat inside council chambers. He takes over from Coun. Steve Hillier, who did not seek re-election. The four will join the re-elected members of council taking their oath of office in a formal swearing-in ceremony on Nov. 17. In the weeks that follow, they’ll face a number of critical decisions, including the endorsement of a deputy mayor and balancing the 2027 municipal budget. Durham expects the learning curve to resemble trying to drink from a fire hose, “As a newbie on council I fully understand that I don’t understand everything, and I think acknowledging that can be a strength.” “I’m analytical in my approach,” Sher said about his decision-making style. “I look for the best evidence. I look at practices in other jurisdictions across North America, even across the world.” Tom Cull said he will look to collaborate with other councillors, “Finding common ground with my colleagues, figuring out what their ward residents need. Being able to articulate what my ward residents need.”
