Mayor-elect Sutcliffe won most city wards, but inner core went to McKenney

The closer Ottawans live to the city's downtown core, the more likely they were to want Catherine McKenney as mayor.

Meanwhile, Mark Sutcliffe took all but five of the city's 24 wards in Monday's municipal election, according to final voter numbers released by the City of Ottawa on Friday. 

The five he didn't win went to McKenney, and were all concentrated around the city's inner core. 

Visualized on a map, the wards Sutcliffe won encircle McKenney's wards and confirm election narratives.

McKenney launched their campaign for mayor in the aftermath of the convoy and won the wards most affected by the occupation of downtown streets by the largest margins. 

Downtown resident Sean Reilly said Saturday he was surprised that McKenney lost after seeing such strong support in his area. 

"It was kind of the suburbs and the votes from there that kind of had a big impact," Reilly said.

"I was looking forward to something new with [McKenney], but clearly it's not really a priority for people not living in the downtown core."

Strong urban support for McKenney

McKenney took Somerset ward — the ward they won twice as a councillor — with 73.3 per cent of the vote. They also took Capital ward, Rideau-Vanier, Kitchissippi and Rideau-Rockcliffe. 

But Sutcliffe picked McKenney's promise to put $250 million toward the building of bike lanes over the next 25 years as a wedge issue to differentiate their not dissimilar campaigns. During CBC Ottawa's televised debate he said rural residents won't ride their bikes in the winter. 

"Parents are not going to take their kids to hockey practice on a bicycle, they're not going to take their parents to a doctor's appointment. We need a plan that respects the residents throughout this community," Sutcliffe said.

"I've heard over and over again during this campaign when I've knocked on doors in Kanata, in Orléans and Barrhaven and Stittsville and the rural parts of our city, that people don't want so much money ... invested in bike lanes." 

McKenney responded by saying people wanted options to commute and investment was necessary improve bike lanes as well as transit and roads.

Sutcliffe pledges to represent entire city

Ottawa resident Ruth Fox said she thinks Sutcliffe had a wider appeal than McKenney, who "spoke maybe more to the downtown people."

"He expressed more of a broader focus than downtown," said Fox, "I mean, one of McKenney's big platforms was bike lanes, and people in the suburbs maybe didn't see as much [need] for them."

In his victory speech, Sutcliffe promised to represent all of Ottawa, including the downtown core.