Conny Glenn stuns Bryan Paterson to win mayoral bid in Kingston, Ont.

In a close race, Conny Glenn emerged victorious in the mayoral election of Kingston, Ontario, on Monday night, defeating the incumbent, Bryan Paterson. Glenn, who has been serving as a councillor for the Sydenham District for four years, secured 43.25 per cent of the 38,246 votes cast, casting her as the third woman to become mayor of the city.

Paterson received 41.17 per cent of the votes. Glenn expressed her gratitude to her opponents, wishing them well for their efforts in running a tough race. She also commented on the trend of women stepping down from political roles due to abuse, emphasizing the importance of continuing to support female candidates. Vanessa Menasah and Grant Bedard secured the third and fourth positions, respectively, with 14.06 per cent and 1.48 per cent of the votes.

Paterson, the city's 96th mayor, previously won his third consecutive term in 2022 with over 74 per cent of the vote. Voter turnout during Paterson's re-election was 31.12 per cent, compared to 12.42 per cent in the city's advance voting. Councillor results were also reported, with each district electing one representative.