Wayne Wright swept to a fourth term as mayor of New Westminster with 62 per cent of support from voters.
While many election watchers perceived there would be a two-way race for mayor between the incumbent and challenger James Crosty, Wright easily won with 6,633 votes. Next came Crosty with 3,139 votes, followed by Vance McFadyen with 826 votes and Françis Nantel with 207 votes.
"I am very pleased with it. I think the people have spoken," Wright said. "The city is ready to keep moving forward. I am ready to go to work. I've got an opportunity in front of me - I won't waste it."
Wright said his campaign focused on his nine-year record and the need to keep the city moving forward. He believes the City of New Westminster has elected a strong team for city council.
"I think this is saying, we are with you, keep going and let's get it done," he said.
Crosty said his team worked tirelessly on his campaign with little money.
"I know how to take a dime and make it a dollar," he said. "That is what I was hoping to do at city hall."
Crosty said there's a problem getting people motivated to vote in the civic elections, and train noise and taxes clearly weren't burning issues in the city.
"We ran a very decent, positive, first-class campaign," he said. "I am rather disappointed at the turnout at the Quay and from Sapperton. I thought the incinerator was a major motivator."
Crosty, who founded the Quayside Community Board and helped lead a campaign against nighttime rail noise, was disappointed with the 200 or so votes he got at the River Market polling station, which is located in his neighbourhood and in an area he has represented on numerous issues.
"I have worked my butt off at the Quay," he said. "To have that kind of result spoke to what people didn't do - come out and vote."
Winning the Quay vote was a huge boost to Wright, who also lives at Westminster Quay.
"It's my neighbourhood," he said. "If it's your neighbourhod and you lose it, you have to be wondering."
Wright believes Quayside residents have seen the positive change in the downtown and are looking forward to the opening of Westminster Pier Park, the civic centre and new cinemas. He credited Crosty for starting the Quayside Festival and Sale, which has brought people together at the annual thrift sale.
McFadyen said the mayor's race result was in keeping with what he had expected, but he's proud of the role he played in the campaign.
"I think I brought a sense of evenness, a sense of politeness," he said. "We will continue to have a great city. We have a great, strong mayor."
Françis Nantel said New Westminster went the same direction as the rest of the Lower Mainland and reelected the incumbent. "I guess people are pretty happy coasting here."
Nantel was surprised that Crosty didn't get more votes than he did.
"I thought he would do better because of the publicity. They were were the two frontrunners," he said.
Former city councillor Calvin Donnelly wasn't at all surprised that Wright was re-elected.
"You can't work as hard as he works and not be recognized," he said. "He works very hard."
