Higgins wins council seat
Politics Newcomer outpolls two others in Ward 2 byelection
SAINT JOHN - The second time around in Ward 2 there was no confusion, no controversy, and precious little suspense. Instead there was simply a victory for the city's newest councillor-elect, Patty Higgins - and a healthy one at that.
Higgins won Monday's byelection with 1,586 votes, outpacing incumbent Carl White (1,296 votes), and third-place finisher Debbie McCormack (821 votes).
Higgins, daughter of the late former mayor Tom Higgins, sounded surprised when she learned that she'd won. "Well, I am," she said. "You never know what's going to happen on election night in Saint John."
Higgins ran on a platform that included a possible restructuring of the city's management, a firm stand against private involvement in the city's water system, and a wait-and-see approach to the potential Irving Oil headquarters deal, which the longshoremen's union opposes.
Liberal Abel LeBlanc, MLA for Saint John Lancaster and an opponent of the Irving deal, was at the head polling station in Parkway Mall, showing his support for Higgins.
He said a good example of Higgins's character was the way she responded to the first election on May 12 and the subsequent Ward 2 controversy. On that night, candidate Gary Sullivan won his seat outright, but Higgins and White finished in a virtual tie that was complicated by irregularities in the way votes were counted.
Chief electoral officer Michael Quinn decided the issue was best settled in a byelection, which led to Higgins's clear victory Monday. LeBlanc said that Higgins decided to trust the system during the recount while White called in a lawyer.
"She trusted everybody, and I think she has that trust," LeBlanc said.
Higgins was the clear choice of the city's unions. Mike Davidson, local representative for the Canadian Union of National Employees, was at her celebration party in her Daniel Avenue home, as was his father, union stalwart Bob Davidson. The younger Davidson said he supports Higgins because she believes in the grassroots.
The councillor-elect said she would play catch-up in the coming days. "I will be asking a lot of questions, and I'll be looking for a lot of input," she said.
Meanwhile, White responded to the loss in his usual low-key manner. He congratulated his competitors for a good campaign, and offered Higgins the advice of getting out in the community, meeting people, and following through on any commitments.
The provincial human rights officer said he wasn't thinking yet about whether he'd run again.
However, McCormack said she would not reoffer. The public health nurse, who has now lost in four elections, wished her opponents all the best, and said she was doing "not so good. I'm losing, but what else is new?"
About one-third of eligible voters in Ward 2 cast votes last night and in advance polling, compared to about half on the original election night. Higgins seemed to poll strong in all parts of the community, though in Millidgeville - where all three candidates live - White outpaced Higgins by about 30 votes.
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