Drew Dilkens will serve a 3rd term as Windsor's mayor after sound election win
City councillor Chris Holt was Dilkens's main challenger
Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens has clinched a third term in office.
His closest competitor in the municipal election was Chris Holt, who vacated his Ward 4 seat to make a bid for the city's top office.
During the campaign, Dilkens sought to paint Holt as a "risky" and "radical" choice for city. Dilkens, meanwhile, said he'd stay the course and hold the line on property taxes. With all 130 polls reporting, Dilkens had 52.51 per cent of the vote (26,018 votes) compared to Holt's 38.7 per cent (19,177 votes).
Dilkens said at a Monday night election event that he's never felt more optimistic about the city.
"The wind is at our back, Windsor, and it sure feels great," he said in a speech. He listed the major projects in progress like the Stellantis electric vehicle (EV) battery plant, the Gordie Howe International Bridge project and the mega-hospital.
Holt conceded early. "I am not going to be the next mayor of the City of Windsor," he told reporters at Fogolar Furlan on North Service Road.
He also said he won't run again.
"I ran to replace the leadership," he said. "The current leadership is still going to be in place and I have no desire to work under that again."
Matthew Giancola was a distant third with about four per cent of the vote.
The city will have three new councillors.
Angelo Marignani defeated incumbent Jeewen Gill in Ward 7 (east Windsor).
Business owner Renaldo Agostino has been elected in the downtown Ward 3 with just 75 more votes than Downtown Windsor BIA chair Brian Yeomans.
In Ward 4 (Walkerville), realtor and radio host Mark McKenzie was elected by an even slimmer margin — 28 votes — over Jake Rondot.
Both wards didn't have incumbents. Rino Bortolin, the outgoing Ward 3 councillor, didn't run again.
Incumbent councillors Ed Sleiman, Jo-Anne Gignac, Gary Kaschak, Kieran McKenzie and Jim Morrison were re-elected.
WATCH: Chris Holt says he won't be mayor of Windsor:
