On the heels of his razor-thin victory in Vancouver’s mayoral race, observers say Kennedy Stewart’s biggest challenge will be building bridges instead of walls across political lines.
Vancouver is one of the few cities in Canada that operates on a party system.
The former NDP MP, who ran as an Independent, will lead 10 councillors divided across four parties with an even split between progressives and members of the right-leaning Non-Partisan Association.
Andy Yan of Simon Fraser University’s City Program says that could mean strategic compromises and more open dialogue in council chambers instead of behind caucus doors.
Stewart edged out contender Ken Sim of the NPA to win the election with a lead of fewer than 1,000 votes.
Sim has not conceded the election, saying after results came in early this morning that more votes needed to be counted and he would seek advice in the coming days.
The Canadian Press
