Incumbent Mayors Defeated in Niagara Falls, Fort Erie and Port Colborne as Voters Demand Accountability
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Residents across several Niagara municipalities replaced long-serving mayors with new leaders in Niagara Falls, Fort Erie and Port Colborne, signaling a strong push for responsible spending, local services and practical leadership.
Incumbent mayors in three Niagara region municipalities lost their seats in Tuesday's municipal elections, signaling a decisive desire for change among local voters who are increasingly focused on results. In Niagara Falls, city councillor Lori Lococo defeated four-term mayor Jim Diodati, winning 51.45% of the vote in a five-candidate race. Lococo, who would become the city’s first female mayor, said residents are concerned about affordability and want tighter control of the municipal budget and taxes.
In Fort Erie, town regional councillor Tom Insinna unseated mayor Wayne Redekop, securing 52.2% of the vote. Insinna, a former RCMP officer, pledged to fight for the urgent-care centre at the former Douglas Memorial Hospital and to impose fiscal discipline in the town, reflecting voters’ concern that local government stay focused on core services and responsible management.
Port Colborne voters chose city councillor Bea Kenny over incumbent mayor Bill Steele, with 3,430 votes to Steele’s 2,307. Kenny, who returned to politics after an eight-year hiatus, highlighted the proposed closure of the town’s urgent-care centre and rising wastewater rates as top concerns for residents, issues that clearly resonated with voters.
Other close contests included Welland’s mayoral race, decided by a narrow margin between regional councillor Pat Chiocchio and city councillor Graham Speck, and Thorold’s mayoral race, won by regional councillor Tim Whalen by just 40 votes over former mayor Henry D'Angela.
In St. Catharines, mayor Mat Siscoe was re-elected with 52.42% of the vote, describing the campaign as “the dirtiest” and emphasizing ground-level voter contact over social-media messaging.
Across the region, the election results reflect a broader trend of voters opting for new leadership and prioritizing issues such as health-care services, fiscal management and community engagement.