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Decisive win for Toms

Kristen Toms declared new Div. 2 councillor
Toms Kristin2
WINNER – Kristin Toms was declared the winner of the 2019 Div. 2 by-election held Sept. 17, having earned about 58 per cent of the vote. She will be sworn in as councillor Sept. 24.

Division 2 voters have given Kristen Toms a decisive mandate to be their representative on Sturgeon County council.

Toms was declared the winner of the 2019 Division 2 byelection once polls closed Sept. 17. She replaces Susan Evans, who stepped down as the region’s representative earlier this year.

Unofficial results reported by county returning officer Jesse Sopko show Toms received 381 of the 652 votes cast in the byelection, surpassing Lynda Moffat’s 207 and Rudy van Woerkom’s 64.

Reached by phone Wednesday morning, Toms had one word to describe these results: “Wow.”

“The first thing I want to do is say thanks to all the people who got out there and voted,” she said.

“I’m thrilled and happy to be in this position and I’m going to do my absolute best for Sturgeon County.”

Toms said she probably knocked on every door in Div. 2 during the last few months (apart from those with gates or large dogs) and spoke with many residents over social media. She and her supporters distributed many campaign signs and on two days this week stood along Cardiff and Starkey Road waving at drivers to let them know she was in the neighbourhood.

Toms thanked her fellow candidates for participating in a clean campaign where everyone supported each other and kept to a high moral standard.

“This is how elections and byelections should run.”

Toms will be sworn in as Div. 2 councillor at the Sept. 24 county council meeting and will take various council training sessions in the next few weeks, Sopko said.

Toms said she had a lot of learning to do on council but hopes to improve county communications with Div. 2 residents and get some clear plans in place for the region during her next two years in office. She also has a long list of issues raised by residents to address, at the top of which are roads and drainage in Cardiff and the Sturgeon Valley.

Sopko said 84 people voted at advance polls or by special ballot in this byelection, with 568 visiting the regular voting stations on Sept. 17. Voter turnout was down relative to the 2017 election, which saw 1,065 people cast votes in Div. 2. Official election results will be released Sept. 23.

Call Sopko at 780-939-8377 for any questions on the by-election.


Kevin Ma

About the Author: Kevin Ma

Kevin Ma joined the St. Albert Gazette in 2006. He writes about Sturgeon County, education, the environment, agriculture, science and aboriginal affairs. He also contributes features, photographs and video.
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