Incumbents dominate Ottawa municipal election as Mayor Sutcliffe wins second term
Mayor Mark Sutcliffe was re-elected with a solid margin while voter turnout fell to 36.3%, and most incumbent councillors retained their seats, leaving women in the majority on council.
Mayor Mark Sutcliffe secured a second four-year term in Ottawa’s 2026 municipal election, defeating his nearest rival, councillor Jeff Leiper, with roughly 46% of the vote according to early counts. The election saw a decline in participation, with 314,393 of 866,685 eligible voters casting ballots – a turnout of 36.3%, down from 43.8% in 2022.
Incumbency proved decisive across the city. All but one incumbent councillor held onto their seats, with the sole upset occurring in Kanata South, where Health Canada senior policy adviser Erin Coffin unseated long-time councillor Allan Hubley, winning 49.7% of the vote.
New faces joined council in a few wards. Chelsea Walton captured the open Stittsville seat with 43% of the vote, and Rawlson King was re-elected in Rideau-Rockcliffe. The council’s gender balance shifted, now comprising 13 women and 12 men.
Other notable results included Steve Desroches winning 83% in Riverside South-Findlay Creek, Shawn Menard returning to Capital Ward with 87% of the vote, and Cathy Curry, Isabelle Skalski and Laine Johnson each winning re-election with large majorities in their respective wards.
Mayor-candidate Alex Lawson, who placed fourth, thanked his supporters and pledged to remain active in city affairs. Third-place finisher Neil Saravanamuttoo conceded after the results were called, acknowledging his campaign team.
City clerk Caitlin Salter MacDonald said voting proceeded smoothly and that officials were monitoring the process. Unofficial results were expected to be released within an hour of polls closing, with final tallies projected by 10:30 p.m.
“We didn’t get it this time,” Lawson said at his post-election gathering, adding that 25,000 supporters had voted for his platform.
“I’m overwhelmed, but really happy the message I was trying to get across to people, that we deserve some new energy, and we deserve to be heard, was good,” Coffin said after her victory.
The election night coverage highlighted the low voter engagement and the continued dominance of incumbents, setting the stage for the next municipal term.