Patrick Brown wins mayoral race in Brampton securing second term

Incumbent candidate Patrick Brown has been reelected for a second term as mayor of Brampton in a landslide victory.

Brown, oftentimes a controversial figure in Canadian politics, won another term by securing nearly 60 per cent of the vote, according to early results.

Supporters at Brown’s victory party at the Speranza Banquet Hall in Brampton cheered “four more years” as news broke of Brown’s win.

“This is a win against the politics of negativity, of mudslinging,” Brown said to a packed crowd during his victory speech. “We ran a positive campaign. We refused to engage in the ugly side of politics and focus on what we’ve achieved in Brampton over the last four years, and what we hope to achieve in the next four.”

“Thank you Brampton, four more years – let’s move the city forward,” Brown said.

Brown said he has “a big mandate” and more support around the council table going into his second term compared to his win in 2018.

The mayor faced off against five other candidates in the race – Nikki Kaur, Bob Dosanjh Singh, Vidya Sagar Gautam, Prabh Kaur Mand, and Tony Moracci.

The closest candidate to challenge Brown in the race was Kaur, who received around 25 per cent of the vote, according to the City of Brampton’s early results.

During the campaign, Brown highlighted his first-term wins on council, including four consecutive years with a 0 per cent tax increase in Brampton, the province committing funding for upgrades of the Peel Memorial Centre, and the planned Ryerson School of Medicine in Brampton.

Brown also led the city through the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic. But his first term was also marked by fighting and gridlock as a fractured council butted heads over cancelled meetings, scrapped investigations and audits, allegations of corruption at city hall, and a controversial motion to fill a council seat before it was declared vacant.

Brown’s previous political history saw him serve three terms as an MP for the riding of Barrie before becoming leader of the Ontario PC Party.

He was elected mayor of Brampton in 2018 after stepping down as leader of the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party following allegations of sexual misconduct, which the mayor has denied and resulted in a defamation lawsuit and settlement with broadcaster CTV News.

Brown also made a failed bid earlier this year for leader of the Conservative Party of Canada before being disqualified from the race over allegations his campaign broke election finance rules.