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Former Liberal MP Andy Fillmore will be the next mayor of Halifax, CBC News projects, fending off challenges from his nearest rivals in today's municipal election that featured a crowded field of candidates. Fillmore, a city planner before he entered federal politics in 2015, has criticized the municipality for allowing new homeless encampments, and campaigned on pledges such as speeding up building permit approvals and improving the flow of traffic. His nearest challenger, three-term councillor Waye Mason, conceded defeat roughly an hour and a half after polls closed.
Fillmore, 58, is one of a number of new faces who will sit on Halifax regional council, with five incumbent councillors not running for re-election in their districts. Halifax is among more than 40 towns and municipalities in Nova Scotia holding elections today, including the Cape Breton Regional Municipality, which CBC News projects has elected Cecil Clarke as its next mayor. Fillmore launched his campaign for Halifax's top political job in July, but only stepped down in early September as MP for the federal riding of Halifax.
His efforts to reach municipal voters included advertising at bus stop shelters and extensively on social media. Andy Fillmore is shown at his campaign launch for mayor on July 3, 2024, in Dartmouth, N.S.
(Daniel Jardine/CBC) Mason campaigned on improving transit, cutting building permit wait times and boosting the supply of affordable housing. He and Fillmore crossed swords most prominently on homeless encampments. Fillmore said the municipality's approach, which has allowed designated tent sites, has encouraged homeless people from across the country to move to Halifax, a claim Mason said was baseless and not supported by data collected by the city.
Sixteen people ran for mayor, with another 63 contesting 16 council seats across the municipality. The current mayor, Mike Savage, announced in February he would not be running again after serving for 12 years. Before entering municipal politics, he was the Liberal MP for the riding of Dartmouth-Cole Harbour.
This week, Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau named Savage Nova Scotia's next lieutenant-governor..
