THUNDER BAY -- Keith Hobbs remains this city’s mayor.
The incumbent remained conservative, wanting to wait until all the polls were in before admitting victory over at-large councillor and former mayor Ken Boshcoff and retired city hall reporter Shane Judge.
Hobbs' 14,463 votes was enough for 38.9 per cent of the vote. Boshcoff had 12,051 votes and Judge took 9,531.
The mayor delivered an emotional speech, tearing up several times as he thanked his supporters at his Memorial Avenue campaign headquarters. He said his victory was for the people struggling in Thunder Bay.
"We're going to beat down crime. We're going to look at poverty, we're going to look at all those kinds of issues and we're going to build an event centre," he said to loud cheers.
He also credited eight endorsements, including several unions for the win.
"People criticized me for backing labour but labour built this city," he said. "I'm not a fence sitter I take a stand and that's what people wanted and I think that's what people got tonight."
Hobbs said he saved the best for last in thanking his fiancee and office manager Marisa Hobbs.
"She's been bullied by adults in this community all her life and I'm tired of it," he said.
Meanwhile, across the city in an office space within the Victoriaville mall where Boshcoff’s campaign headquarters were situated, the now former at-large councillor reflected on the campaign and concluded people had voted as if it was a plebiscite on the proposed event centre.
People wanted a yes or no answer from him on the issue, but he preferred to wait for more information.
"With the myriad of issues the city faces - taxation, assessment and drawing in new business, maybe the public viewed that as one issue,” he admitted to media after conceding defeat.
“The public felt represented in all those other issues and the council approach to those. I like being the person people come to in order to solve problems and have solutions. In this case they've chosen to stay the course.”
While Boshcoff’s position on an event centre wasn’t a simple yes or no, Judge’s campaign focused on stopping the proposed facility.
A self-described outsider, Judge said he knew it would be tough taking on two well known incumbents for the mayor's chair.
He said it was disappointing that he didn't win, but more than 25 per cent of the vote he believes he had a credible showing.
The former council reporter ran on the premise that the city couldn't afford a new event centre, something he received only positive feedback on.
The community reflected on that and decided it wanted one anyway.
"I'm satisfied with that. At least they put their minds to it," Judge said.
