Fred Francis wins Windsor mayoral race, ending 12-year tenure of Drew Dilkens

Fred Francis won the Windsor mayoral race on Monday, defeating incumbent Drew Dilkens and ending the latter's pursuit of a fourth term. The unofficial results show Francis receiving 28,204 votes, or 47.6 percent of the total. Dilkens finished second with 33.8 percent of the vote. The gap between the two candidates was 8,183 votes.

Kat Pasquach placed third in the election with 7,253 votes. Francis, who has served as the councillor for Ward 1 for 12 years, will move into the mayor's office. He currently works as the executive director of the Multicultural Council of Windsor and Essex County.

Francis stated that voters sought a new direction for the city. He said his campaign focused on policies and ideas that resonated with residents. "I felt that, so the need for change was there. We were able to tap into that during my campaign with our policies and ideas, and I'm grateful and humbled that the majority of Windsor voters trusted us and believed in our plan," he said.

The incoming mayor identified repealing Strong Mayor Powers as a top priority for his first day in office. These powers, established by provincial legislation, allow the mayor to propose the municipal budget, veto council amendments tied to provincial priorities, and appoint or dismiss the Chief Administrative Officer and department heads. Francis said his administration would stop using these powers immediately.

"We're going to repeal it. I won't use it. We're going to figure out how to do that; we just won't use it. That was a big factor at the door. Change was a big factor at the door. Revitalizing the downtown was a huge factor at the door," Francis said at the Fogular Furlan Club.

Outgoing mayor Drew Dilkens said he served on city council for 20 years, including 12 years as mayor. He expressed pride in the city's progress, specifically noting the completion of the Fancsy Family Hospital and the attraction of the NextStar Battery Plant. "Economic development is something I focused greatly on. We landed, basically landed the unicorn with the NextStar battery factory. I'm incredibly proud of that and always will be, and so many other things," Dilkens said.

Dilkens said he leaves office without regret and respects the voters' decision. "I was really the honour of my life to serve as mayor of the city of Windsor. Nothing will beat this, I'm sure, than being mayor of the city of Windsor," he said. He noted that he lost a council race in 2003 before winning the following year, so losing is not a new experience for him.

The new council will include four new members and one returning councillor. Five incumbents retained their seats: Frazier Fathers in Ward 2, Renaldo Agostino in Ward 3, Angelo Marignani in Ward 7, Gary Kaschak in Ward 8, and Kieran McKenzie in Ward 9.

Darcie Renaud will replace Francis in Ward 1. Chris Holt, a former Ward 4 councillor, returns to that seat after Mark McKenzie chose not to run again. Ken Acton is the new councillor for Ward 5, replacing Ed Sleiman, who served since 2010. Jeremy Renaud won the Ward 6 seat, replacing Jo-Anne Gignac after her 23-year tenure. In Ward 10, Mark Masanovich defeated two-term incumbent Jim Morrison, reversing a loss of 138 votes in the 2022 election.

Francis said he is already focused on the work ahead. "The wheels are turning already, and my mind-the election's over as far as I consider it," he said. "Now it's about the work, and I'm really looking forward to the work."