Jyoti Gondek to lead Calgary as city’s next mayor
Posted October 18, 2021 9:04 pm.
Last Updated October 19, 2021 6:58 am.
Jyoti Gondek will serve Calgary as the city’s next mayor.
As of 9 p.m. MT, Gondek lead Jeromy Farkas by more than 33,000 votes and held 45 per cent of the total votes.
“Thank you, Calgary, with all of my heart,” Gondek said late Monday during her victory speech. “Thank you for engaging in democracy and sending a clear signal about what our future looks like.
Calgary – thank you. I love you.
— Jyoti Gondek (@JyotiGondek) October 19, 2021
“Thank you for embracing a vision of promise and opportunity.”
Nenshi responded to the unofficial results on social media.
History. Made. Congratulations @JyotiGondek and your team! pic.twitter.com/YRlRA8GL2b
— Naheed Nenshi (@nenshi) October 19, 2021
“History. Made,” he wrote as he congratulated Gondek on her win. He, too, made history as the first Muslim mayor of a large North American city. Earlier Monday, he thanked Calgarians for giving him the “honour of his life.”
Gondek served as a city councillor in Calgary for four years, where she championed public transit, police reform and city growth.
Her mayoral campaign has focused on issues such as investing in transportation, getting more property tax dollars from the provincial government and making Calgary a “centre for excellence” to boost social, economic and environmental recovery.
Jeromy Farkas held on to roughly 30 per cent of votes, with Jeff Davison at 14 per cent.
Gondek will prepare to shift seats to the mayor’s chair after serving as Ward 3 councillor since 2017.
Polls officially closed at 8 p.m. MT and it didn’t take long for Gondek to take a strong lead.
After the first tabulators began reporting results, Gondek held more than 45 per cent of the vote and had around 30,000 votes more than Farkas. A lead that would only grow.
Not long after being declared as the winner, Gondek’s lead grew to more than 55,000 votes with only a handful of tabulators left to report numbers.
Along with serving as a city councillor in Calgary for four years, Gondek has championed public transit, police reform and city growth during her term.
Her mayoral campaign has focused on issues such as investing in transportation, getting more property tax dollars from the provincial government and making Calgary a “centre for excellence” to boost social, economic and environmental recovery.
– with files from the Canadian Press
