While everyone else was busy enjoying Nocturne, we lucky political nerds at The Coast were watching the election results ever-so-slowly roll in.
To no great surprise, Mike Savage won another term as mayor by defeating challenger Lil MacPherson. The Wooden Monkey owner did manage a respectable 31 percent of the votes, though.
In HRM's four open races, former councillor Steve Streatch won another shot at City Hall, with 38 percent of the vote in Waverley–Fall River–Musquodoboit Valley; urban planner Sam Austin walked away with 30 percent of the vote in the race to replace Gloria McCluskey in Dartmouth Centre; Lindell Smith won by a landslide in Peninsula North; and meteorologist Richard Zurawski came away with a win in Timberlea–Beechville–Clayton Park–Wedgewood.
The biggest surprises came from a handful of photo-finishes amongst the incumbent races. Russell Walker barely eked out a win against challenger Andrew Curran (winning by just 15 votes in a contest that will likely go to a recount). Shawn Cleary defeated Linda Mosher in a race that was neck-and-neck all night, while Lisa Blackburn picked up a win against Brad Johns by fewer than 100 votes.
The official results (finally released Thursday morning after a two-day delay) are below, but you can also read them here. The total number of votes cast in HRM's election was 91,574, or 31.77 percent of eligible voters. That's down considerably from 2012, when 37.07 percent of the municipality's eglible voters cast ballots.
Mayor
288,277 total eligible voters
Mike Savage: 62,096 (68.3%)
Lil MacPherson: 28,719 (31.7%)
Total votes cast: 91,574
Voter turnout: 31.77 percent
District 1: Waverley–Fall River–Musquodoboit Valley
15,762 total eligible voters
Colin Castle: 395 (6.7%)
Cathy Deagle-Gammon: 1,790 (30.3%)
Trevor Lawson: 1,064 (17.9%)
Alison McNair: 160 (2.7%)
Steve Sinnott: 263 (4.4%)
Steve Streatch: 2,245 (37.7%)
Total votes cast: 5,959
Voter turnout: 37.8 percent
District 2: Preston–Chezzetcook–Eastern Shore
19,569 total eligible voters
Shelley Fashan: 1,106 (16.6%)
David Hendsbee: 3,266 (49%)
Sydnee L. McKay: 244 (3.7%)
Gail McQuarrie: 1,989 (29.8%)
Total votes cast: 6,664
Voter turnout: 34.05 percent
District 3: Dartmouth South–Eastern Passage
21,152 total eligible voters
Incumbent Bill Karsten wins by acclamation.
District 4: Cole Harbour–Westphal
18,931 total eligible voters
Incumbent Lorelei Nicoll wins by acclamation.
District 5: Dartmouth Centre
20,927 total eligible voters
Sam Austin: 2,372 (30.4%)
Adam Bowes: 43 (0.6%)
Gabriel Enxuga: 335 (4.3%)
Ned Milburn: 508 (6.5%)
Tim Rissesco: 1,673 (21.4%)
Derek Vallis: 1,068 (13.7%)
Kate Watson: 1,583 (20.3%)
Warren Wesson: 173 (2.2%)
Total votes cast: 7,801
Voter turnout: 37.3 percent
District 6: Harbourview–Burnside–Dartmouth East
17,835 total eligible voters
Carlos Beals: 2,019 (36%)
Tony Mancini: 3,565 (64%)
Total votes cast: 5,623
Voter turnout: 31.5 percent
District 7: Halifax South Downtown
15,566 total eligible voters
Dominick Desjardins: 259 (5.3%)
Waye Mason: 2,962 (61.1%)
Sue Uteck: 1,590 (33.6%)
Total votes cast: 4,843
Voter turnout: 31 percent
District 8: Halifax Peninsula North
18,465 total eligible voters
Irvine Carvery: 435 (6.5%)
Martin Farrell: 82 (1.2%)
Anthony Kawalski: 112 (1.7%)
Patrick Murphy: 1,104 (16.5%)
Chris Poole: 715 (10.7%)
Lindell Smith: 3,418 (51.2%)
Brenden Sommerhalder: 761 (11.4%)
Total votes cast: 6,671
Voter turnout: 36 percent
District 9: Halifax West Armdale
20,037total eligible voters
Shawn Cleary: 3,740 (49%)
Linda Mosher: 3,634 (47.7%)
Kyle Woodbury: 203 (2.7%)
Total votes cast: 7,625
Voter turnout: 38 percent
District 10: Halifax–Bedford Basin West
16,776 total eligible voters
Andrew Curran: 1,992 (41.8%)
Mohammad Ehsan: 717 (15%)
Russell Walker: 2,027 (42.5%)
Total votes cast: 4,764
Voter turnout: 28 percent
District 11: Spryfield–Sambro Loop–Prospect Road
18,079 total eligible voters
Stephen Adams: 3,613 (73%)
Dawn E. Penney: 1,266 (25.7%)
Total votes cast: 4,934
Voter turnout: 27 percent
District 12: Timberlea–Beechville–Clayton Park–Wedgewood
18,026 total eligible voters
John Bignell: 669 (11.7%)
Scott Guthrie: 1,241 (21.7%)
Bruce Holland: 916 (16%)
Bruce E. Smith: 534 (9.4%)
Iona Stoddard: 702 (12.3%)
Richard Zurawski: 1,607 (28.1%)
Total votes cast: 5,709
Voter turnout: 31.7 percent
District 13: Hammonds Plains–St. Margarets
18,356 total eligible voters
Pamela Lovelace: 2,562 (34.3%)
Harry Ward: 785 (10.5%)
Matt Whitman: 4,090 (55%)
Total votes cast: 7,470
Voter turnout: 40.7 percent
District 14: Middle/Upper Sackville–Beaver Bank–Lucasville
16,195 total eligible voters
Lisa Blackburn: 2,062 (42.7%)
Kevin Copley: 741 (15.3%)
Brad Johns: 2,015 (41.7%)
Total votes cast: 4,829
Voter turnout: 29.8 percent
District 15: Lower Sackville
16,086 total eligible voters
Incumbent Steve Craig wins by acclamation.
District 16: Bedford–Wentworth
18,408 total eligible voters
Incumbent Tim Outhit wins by acclamation.
with files from Ashley Corbett, Moira Donovan, Alexander Quon and Adina Bresge.
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