Mark Sutcliffe, Catherine McKenney gave Ottawa a veritable mayoral race

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Two and a half weeks after the fall municipal elections, Mark Sutcliffe and Catherine McKenney shared a beavertail.

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Seizing Ottawa’s signature deep-fried treat was a deal they struck as mayoral candidates, and were in the process of closing just days before Sutcliffe officially took his seat at the head of the table at the municipal Council.

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Like during the downtime during the mayoral debates where they were seen chatting and joking, it was a moment that matched the statements the two had made about mutual respect, despite what their uphill battle to lead the city ​​could lead anyone to conclude.

Audiences were charmed, judging by social media responses to BeaverTail’s post. The same duo that served up real competition for mayor, after three airy election victories for Jim Watson, also brought a collegiality that many want to see more of in politics. So much so that it was talked about during the campaign, after a four-year term in which acrimony between council members played out in broad daylight.

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McKenney (who uses the pronouns they/them), was already well known when they entered the mayoral race in December 2021 – a two-term Somerset Ward councilor known for pushing for more aggressive action on housing affordability, homelessness and other progressive priorities. Their profile only grew in the months that followed, as an advocate for downtown residents who felt abandoned by the authorities during the occupation of the Freedom Convoy.

Sutcliffe announced his candidacy in late June, an unknown political quantity with an established personal brand as a broadcaster and entrepreneur. Standing in a Kanata park, he said the choice of location for his ad was to ensure every part of the city was represented – a theme he would return to again and again, drawing a distinction between his candidacy and that of its « downtown competitor ».

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The mayoral race has grown to 14 candidates when nominations close in August, including the return of Ottawa’s first post-merger mayor, Bob Chiarelli, to the polls. But McKenney and Sutcliffe were quickly the clear leaders, with McKenney starting in the lead, according to public polls, and Sutcliffe steadily closing the gap.

The two produced a stream of campaign announcements long before the Oct. 24 election, culminating in city platforms complete with detailed financial plans for how they would achieve their respective visions for the city. Many of them overlapped — housing affordability, tackling climate change, improving city services and the transit system — though there were differences in method and mood.

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As they had done in council, McKenney presented a vision of change for the city. On a personal level, they would have been an openly trans/non-binary mayor (the first of any major city in Canada, according to CBC) and ideologically, they represented a leftward shift in Watson’s politics – something Sutcliffe has described as « a sharp left turn ».

McKenney made bold promises — borrowing $250 million to accelerate construction of the city’s bike network, ending chronic homelessness in his first term — and arguing that Ottawa’s municipal government could be increasingly focused on equity while remaining fiscally responsible.

Sutcliffe, a businessman with a social conscience, was a new face in a post-Watson era, with his own spin on the centrist sensibilities of his predecessor. Elect Mayor Sutcliffe, and Ottawans would have someone for more efficient municipal government, with taxpayer dollars spent wisely on city priorities, incremental progress on pain points like roads and homelessness and a council that would work more harmoniously.

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He spoke critically of the “ideology” infecting city politics and portrayed himself as a bridge builder with no political background, while enjoying the support of many current and former elected officials, the PC MP for Nepean Lisa MacLeod to Ottawa Center Liberal MP Yasir Naqvi.

Sutcliffe hammered McKenney’s bike path promise and other spending plans as financially risky, while McKenney sought to portray Sutcliffe as a continuation of the settlement status quo that would take an austerity approach to municipal services .

Sutcliffe eventually won by a considerable margin, a triumphant conclusion to his first-ever run for political office. His 51.4 percent of the citywide vote to McKenney’s 37.9 percent meant beating his rival in every ward outside of central Ottawa.

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On election night, Sutcliffe celebrated his victory, McKenney navigated their disappointment, and both spoke positively about each other. The mayor-elect is committed to reaching out to McKenney supporters on city council, while McKenney urged their supporters to keep fighting for the issues they had championed during the campaign.

Now the two are on different paths – Sutcliffe is settling into the post of mayor, with a new council culture and relationships to develop, an early budget to hammer out and campaign promises to keep, while the city waits to see what McKenney does next.

Speaking to reporters on election night, McKenney said they didn’t know what was coming next, but expected to continue working on issues related to social justice, housing and roaming.

During an election debate, after expressing their support for the Sutcliffe campaign’s pledge to plant a million trees, McKenney had joked that they might well apply for a job as a tree planter at the City of Ottawa if their bid for mayor was unsuccessful.

To this, Sutcliffe had jokingly replied, « You’re hired. »