Ottawa election final count: Sutcliffe re-elected mayor with 44.6% of the vote

Counting in Ottawa's October 26 municipal election finished on Monday night. According to the City's unofficial results, incumbent mayor Mark Sutcliffe was re-elected with 139,354 votes, or 44.6%, defeating his main challenger, former Kitchissippi councillor Jeff Leiper, who received 105,819 votes (33.9%). Economist Neil Saravanamuttoo received 34,463 votes and business owner Alex Lawson 23,605.

The numbers

All 824 mayoral tabulators were counted, and turnout was 36.2%. CTV News Ottawa declared Sutcliffe re-elected at 8:58 p.m. Addressing supporters on election night, Sutcliffe said: "It's another beautiful night in Ottawa." He said voters had backed his message to keep building the city and keep it moving forward.

Council: all 24 wards decided

All 24 ward council races were settled. Notable results include Stéphanie Plante re-elected in Rideau-Vanier (Ward 12) with 53.8%; former journalist Joanne Chianello taking Kitchissippi (Ward 15) with 65.2%, succeeding Leiper, who left council to run for mayor; and Erin Coffin defeating long-serving incumbent Allan Hubley in Kanata South, 7,878 votes to 5,248. The new council's term runs from November 15, 2026 to November 14, 2030.

What happens next

The results remain unofficial until declared official by the City Clerk, expected on or before Friday, October 30. During the campaign Sutcliffe pledged to keep property tax increases to no more than 2.5% in the first two budgets of the new term, building on $252 million in savings at city hall over the past four years, with another $250 million to be found. Leiper said on election night that he was disappointed and would take a rest after 12 years as Kitchissippi councillor.

Source: City of Ottawa unofficial election results, as reported by Eye on Ottawa and local live count coverage.