Monday 22 October 2018
Valerie Assoi and Roda Muse emerged last night as the lone stars, the only Black candidates to win their seats as Ottawa’s first Black School Board Trustees. They accomplished this feat without an actual vote, as they were two of the few acclaimed candidates in the October 22 Municipal election in Ottawa. They were the only candidates nominated at the Conseil des écoles catholiques du centre-est Secteur 6 and Conseil des écoles publiques de l’Est de l’Ontario Zone 6 respectively. However, the City of Ottawa will have to wait at least another four years for another chance to elect its first Black Mayor or City Councillor. The lone Black candidate for Mayor, Bernie Couchman, came in 12th in a field of 12, with 0.36% of the vote. None of the five Black candidates who ran for Council made it to the victory podium. In fact, the closest our community got to victory was in River Ward where Fabien Kalala Cimankinda placed second in a field of four, with 21.76% of the vote.
Below are the results, with the names of Black candidates in bold:
MAYOR
Elected: Jim Watson 188,960 votes. 71% of votes cast
Bernard Couchman 964 votes. 0.36% of votes cast. 12th out of 12 candidates
COUNCILLORS
Orleans
Elected: Mathew Luloff 3622 votes 23.76%
Dina Epale 336 votes 2.2 % of votes cast. 9th out of 17 candidates
River Ward
Elected: Riley Brockington 6122 votes 54.50% of votes cast
Fabien Kalala Cimankinda 2445 votes 21. 76% of votes cast. 2nd out of four candidates
Capital Ward
Elected: Shawn Menard 3575 votes . 28.12% of votes cast
Jide Afolabi 520 votes. 4.09% of votes cast. 5th out of 5 candidates
Barrhaven
Elected: Jan Harder 11489 votes 74.27% of votes cast
Franklin Epape 908 votes 5.87% of votes cast. 3rd out of 5 candidates
Orleans
Elected: Mathew Luloff 3622 votes. 23.76% of votes cast
Dina Epale 336 votes. 2.20% of votes cast. 9th out of 17 candidates
SCHOOL BOARDS
Conseil des écoles catholiques du centre-est Secteur 6
Valérie Assoi Acclaimed
Conseil des écoles publiques de l’Est de l’Ontario Zone 6
Roda Muse Acclaimed
Ottawa Carleton District School Board Zone 10
Elected: Erica Braunovan 11,935 votes 72.86% of votes cast
Justin Laku 1243 votes. 7.9% of votes cast. 4th out of 4 candidates
Ottawa Carleton District School Board Zone 11
Elected: Mark Fisher 6506 50.42%
Elaine Hayles 4352 votes 33.73% of votes cast. 2nd out of 3 candidates
Ottawa Carleton District School Board Zone 12
Elected: Sandra Schwartz 7265 votes 74.31% of votes cast
Rawlson King 2511 25.69% of votes cast. 2nd out of 2 candidates
Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est Secteur 8
Elected: Dan Boudria 3037 votes 79.15% of votes cast
Nenette Ntema-Mbudi 352 votes 9.17% of votes cast. 3rd out of 3 candidates
Conseil des écoles publiques de l’Est de l’Ontario Secteur 9
Elected: Marielle Godbout 1671 votes 79.34%
Abdourahaman Kahin 435 votes 20.66 % of votes cast. 2nd out 2
Source: City of Ottawa