Welland’s competitive race for mayor was expected to be the highlight of the night in Niagara, but it turned out there were even more surprising events with the ousting of incumbent mayors who many thought were untouchable.
Jim Diodati in Niagara Falls, Wayne Redekop in Fort Erie, and Bill Steele of Port Colborne all faced defeat as voters showed they wanted change.
In a surprising turn, four-term mayor Diodati was decisively beaten by city councillor Lori Lococo, who secured 51.45 percent of the vote in a five-person race, while Diodati came in second with 41.73 percent based on unofficial results.
Diodati had served as mayor for 16 years and promised that if he won again, it would be his last term.
“I’m feeling pretty amazing,” Lococo shared with at her victory celebration surrounded by supporters.
She mentioned that she’s been told she’ll become the first woman to serve as mayor in the city’s history.
“I always hope that people vote for people based on their experience and skills, not because of their gender,” she added.
WATCH | Lori Lococo addresses her supporters Monday night:
Lori Lococo speaks after winning Niagara Falls mayoral race
“We don’t have a revenue problem. We have a spending problem,” said Niagara Falls’ newly elected mayor Lori Lococo, who beat four-term incumbent Jim Diodati by over 2,600 votes on Monday night.
Lococo stated she’s heard from residents about their struggles with affordability.
“We really need to get our budget and our taxes under control,” she noted.
She added that residents expressed a desire for different leadership where they feel valued and heard. “That’s what I want to bring forward with our city council.”
Fort Erie’s Wayne Redekop Loses
Another significant upset occurred when Fort Erie’s incumbent mayor Redekop was defeated by regional councillor Tom Insinna.
Insinna won comfortably with 52.2 percent of the votes compared to Redekop’s 40.9 percent according to unofficial results.
Insinna, who previously served as an RCMP officer, committed to advocating for an urgent care centre at the former Douglas Memorial Hospital in Fort Erie. Health care has been a pressing issue for years since the hospital’s services were reduced and operating hours cut due to doctor shortages at Niagara Health’s three major hospitals.
Insinna also vowed to implement fiscal responsibility within the town as he claims he’s done at Niagara’s regional government level.
Redekop is a lawyer who has long been involved in local politics. After serving as town councillor starting in the early ’90s, he became mayor for nine years beginning in 1997 before returning once more in 2014 until now.
Bea Kenny Makes A Comeback In Port Colborne
Port Colborne residents also opted for change; unofficial results show city councillor Bea Kenny emerged victorious with 3,430 votes against Steele’s 2,307 votes amid five candidates competing.
Kenny has spent over two decades on council but took eight years off to care for her husband during his battle with cancer. Following his passing, she decided to re-enter city politics.
“I’m humbled by the citizens of Port Colborne who have put their trust in me,” she told . “I won their trust knocking on doors.” p >
Kenny pointed out that plans by Niagara Health to close down the town’s urgent care centre at the former hospital was one major concern among residents. She pledged to fight hard to keep that facility open.
“It’s not fair to the citizens of Port Colborne to be treated any differently than any other residents of Niagara,” she asserted.
She also noted that residents want her help addressing wastewater rates.
In Welland, an intense eight-way race following retiring mayor Frank Campion concluded very narrowly.
Current regional councillor Pat Chiocchio received 4,271 votes just edging past city councillor Graham Speck’s total of 4,216 votes while former Wainfleet mayor April Jeffs garnered 3,091 votes according to unofficial figures.
Meanwhile in Thorold’s tight contest decided by only 40 votes saw regional councillor Tim Whalen narrowly beating current city councillor and ex-mayor Henry D’Angela with Whalen receiving 50.3 percent against D’Angela’s close count of 49.76 percent based on unofficial results.
D’Angela held office from 2006 until 2010 before switching roles as a regional council member from then until unsuccessfully running against retiring mayor Terry Ugulini during elections held back in 2018.
He regained his position as councillor during Ugulini’s second term starting back up again this year. h1 > h1 > h1 > h1> parah>
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