Sandy Shantz is the new mayor of Woolwich township, winning by a large margin and defeating incumbent Todd Cowan, who was last of four candidates for mayor.

Shantz took first place with 4,431 votes, according to the unofficial results posted on the township's website.

"I was so excited," Shantz told CBC News after the ballots had been counted. "It's a big responsibility. People have put a lot of faith in me and so I do take that responsibility seriously."

As mayor, Shantz says she hopes to encourage an attitude of listening.

"There's so many people who are extremely intelligent and well-versed in whatever they have a passion for," she said. "I'm hoping we can build on that and listen to what they have to say."

Woolwich township saw 36.9 per cent of eligible voters cast ballots. That means 6,637 voters out of 17,985 eligible voters went to the polls.

The other candidates for mayor included Doug Hergott with 887 votes, Bonnie Bryant with 851 votes and Cowan with 501 votes.

Cowan, who had been elected mayor of Woolwich in 2010, attributes his last place showing in this race to an Ontario Provincial Police investigation into his expense claims.

"On the one hand, I understand," he told CBC News, "On the other hand, there's a lot of...things that have happened in the last four years — good things that have happened, but it is what it is and I accept that and move on."

Cowan is accused of double-billing the region and the township for $2,770, and double-billing $465.62 in mileage to the township and the Grand River Conservation Authority.

Shantz was a Woolwich councillor from 2006 to 2010, a school board trustee for Waterloo Region District School board from 1997 to 2003, and has served in various capacities with the St. Jacobs Mennonite Church.

She is also a member of board for the Mennonite Church of Canada.

Shantz has lived in Elmira for the last 30 years.