King returns as Rideau-Rockcliffe councillor

Sutcliffe re-elected mayor of Ottawa

Residents of Ward 13 (Rideau-Rockcliffe) voted overwhelmingly to return Rawlson King to Ottawa City Hall as their councillor.

King was re-elected to the position in the Oct. 26 municipal election. Now entering his third term in this ward, King received 8,181 votes or 81.5 per cent of the ballots cast. 

His only opponent, Peter Karwacki, himself a veteran of three municipal election campaigns, received 1,853 votes or 18.5 per cent. 

At his victory celebration, held at The Bridge Public House, King thanked his volunteers, campaign workers, staff and wife Dr. Linda Grussani. And he thanked ward residents for putting their trust in him once again. 

“Rideau-Rockcliffe is an extraordinary place … we are a community of enormous diversity and enormous heart. What unites us is a shared belief, that where you live should not determine the quality of your life, and that city government, when it works well, can make a difference.” 

In his pre-election profile, King pointed to his seven-year record, having facilitated close to $400 million in infrastructure work and another $120 million in funding for affordable housing.

“I championed Ottawa’s first anti-racism office and strategy, advanced poverty reduction and food security policies, and successfully advocated to extend the ANCHOR (Alternate Neighbourhood Crisis Response) program to our ward.”

Work still needed

Despite the accomplishments, he told the crowd on Oct. 26, the work must continue. 

“Too many residents cannot afford to stay in the communities where they have built their lives,” he said. “Too many mornings begin with a bus that does not show up. Too many people are sleeping outside when the temperature drops. Too many families are one rent increase away from displacement. I hear you. I see you. And I’m going back to city hall on your behalf.”

His priorities for the coming term include “transit that actually works,” attracting more funds for affordable and non-profit housing, and “stronger protections for tenants.

“I’m committed to honest budgeting. No more deferring infrastructure costs onto the next generation while pretending that we are fiscally responsible.”

Race for mayor

The race for mayor came down to two candidates — incumbent Mark Sutcliffe and former councillor Jeff Leiper. 

In the end, Sutcliffe received a second mandate from voters, receiving 139,354 votes (44.65 per cent). Leiper finished second with 105,819 votes (33.9 per cent). Neil Saravanamuttoo and Alex Lawson were third and fourth respectively among a field of 14 candidates.

Among Sutcliffe’s priorities for the coming term are building a stronger economy, improved infrastructure and transit, more housing and making life more affordable for residents. 

Trustees

There were also three races for school trustees. 

Jennifer Moroziuk (4,619) edged out Chris Durrant (4,285) for the position in Zone 6 of the Ottawa Carleton District School Board. 

Cameron Bonesso will be the trustee for Zone 10 of the Ottawa Catholic School Board. Former city councillor Mathieu Fleury easily won the trustee position for Zone 10 of the French public board and André Thibodeau was acclaimed to the post with the French Catholic school board. 

Turnout

Overall voter turnout was low, with just 36.2 per cent of eligible voters choosing to cast a ballot. According to the CBC, that’s down from the 43.8 per cent who voted in 2022 and the lowest turnout in Ottawa since 2003.