The residents of Ward 2 in St. John’s have elected a familiar face to the council chambers.
Shawn Skinner won the byelection for Ward 2 with 1,242 votes.
It was a close race, however. Both Ophelia Ravencroft and Lorne Loder were close behind with 936 and 923 votes respectively. Over 5,400 votes were cast in total.
Via the city of St. John’s.
Skinner has served as the councillor for the ward before. As well, he is a former MHA, representing the district of St. John’s center between 2003 and 2011.
For Skinner, returning to represent Ward 2 has been a long time coming.
“It’s been a long 27-year wait between elections,” says Skinner, who notes he is happy to represent the ward.
Skinner says first orders of business will be finding ways for the city to “live within its own means,” he notes tax increases are not on his agenda, and addressing accessibility needs.
He says we must to be aware of the diverse needs within the ward. He calls it a special part of the city and the “heartbeat of St. John’s.”
