Robertson given a third mandate to lead Vancouver
By Contributor
Vancouver’s Gregor Robertson is overcame the odds to win a seat as Mayor Vancouver during Saturday’s 2014 BC Municipal Elections.
The incumbent, which was thought to be in trouble late in the campaign, led the count from the start, taking 46 per cent of ballots cast, compared with 40 per cent for his main rival Kirk LaPointe (Non-Partisan Association).
Robertson, co-founder of the Happy Planet juice company and a former NDP member of B.C.’s legislature, was first elected in 2008 and will now serve a third term.
Outside of Vancouver, he is perhaps best known as the city’s public face during the 2010 Winter Olympics.
The mayor and his Vision Vancouver party entered the campaign as the clear front-runners against Kirk LaPointe of the Non-Partisan Association, a newcomer to politics who was relatively unknown outside his colleagues in the news media.
But polls suggested Robertson’s lead had waned in the final weeks of the campaign, which became increasingly ugly as LaPointe accused the mayor of corruption and Robertson, in turn, filed a defamation lawsuit.
No single policy issue dominated the campaign, which instead focused on the perception that Robertson ignored the concerns of residents as he expanded bike lanes, added to the city’s supply of social housing and homeless shelters, and green-lit new property developments.
Robertson responded to those complaints during a mayoral debate this past Wednesday, offering a surprising and unprompted apology to voters for falling short of their expectations. He also made a last-minute pitch for strategic voting, urging supports of a left-leaning third-place party, the Coalition of Progressive Electors, to vote for him to keep LaPointe out of office.
The mayor echoed his apology during his victory speech.
“I’ve heard from lots of Vancouverites about their strong belief and love for our city, our shared values,” Robertson told a room full of supporters in downtown Vancouver.
“I’ve also heard loud and clear that there are things that we could do better and we will.”
After a campaign that focused in part on discontent with Robertson’s environmental and social policies, he made it clear Saturday night that he planned to continue on the same path.
“There are some very urgent issues we face,” said Robertson, singling out climate change, homelessness and public transit.
“There is a lot more to do and we’re really looking forward to working together as one big team in Vancouver to accomplish these great goals.”
In a concession speech to supporters in a nearby hotel, LaPointe acknowledged the especially heated campaign.
“So the campaign has not always brought out the best in us, but it did deliver a clarity of choice,” said LaPointe.
In Surrey, Surrey First’s Linda Hepner scored a runaway victory to replace outgoing mayor Dianne Watts, who was the party’s leader. Watts stepped down to seek the Conservative seat in the next federal election.
— with files from Huffington Post
