Fred Francis has won the mayor’s race in Windsor, Ont., according to unofficial results, ending a 12-year reign for Drew Dilkens in Monday’s municipal election. Francis follows in the footsteps of his older brother, Eddie Francis, in being elected mayor. The elder Francis was elected in 2003 at 29 years old, one of the youngest ever to hold the position in the city’s history and became one of the city’s longest-serving mayors by the time he left office. Fred Francis convinced voters with a campaign promising a “new direction” for Windsor, which included rolling back the use of strong mayor powers, a focus on affordable housing, and revitalizing downtown. Francis was first elected to councillor as the Ward 1 representative in 2014 and was re-elected twice in the subsequent elections in 2018 and 2022. Dilkens conceded and congratulated Fred Francis as mayor-elect in an address just before 9:30 p.m. More to come.
