Five candidates for Durham’s highest office
By Dave Flaherty/The Oshawa Express
As 2 p.m. on Friday, July 27 ticked by, the list of candidates for Durham Region’s highest office became complete.
There are five candidates seeking to become regional chair and CEO, and October’s municipal election will be only the second time that Durham residents have voted for the position.
The late Roger Anderson was Durham’s first publicly elected regional chair in 2014, after being selected for the post by regional council in the previous five municipal elections.
After Anderson’s passing in March of this year, former Uxbridge Mayor Gerri Lynn O’Connor was chosen by council as Anderson’s interim successor. O’Connor has stated her intentions to retire from politics at the end of the current term.
Whoever wins in October’s election will become the first person, other than Anderson, to actively seek and gain the seat at the head of council in more than two decades.
John Mutton was the first to enter the race on May 1.
Mutton served as mayor of Clarington between 2000 and 2006. During that time, he had terms as chair of the region’s finance and economic development committee.
He is the president and CEO of Municipal Solutions, an advisory and business development firm.
Oshawa Mayor John Henry was the second candidate to come forward on May 14.
Henry is currently in his second term as mayor, winning 49 per cent of the vote in 2014.
Previously he served as a regional councillor between 2006 and 2010.
Henry is the only candidate in the race who currently sits in office.
The third name added to the list was Tom Dingwall, a veteran officer with the Durham Region Police Service.
In May, Dingwall successfully challenged a clause in the Police Services Act that he claimed was restricting him from being able to run as a municipal candidate.
The clause in question stated that police officers seeking municipal office must do so while on unpaid leave. However, they were only allowed to take the unpaid leave 60 days before polling day.
Ultimately, Dingwall’s challenge proved successful in court.
In addition to his position as police detective, he also works in the real estate industry.
Oshawa resident Muhammad Ahsin Sahi tossed his hat into the race on June 27.
Sahi is a real estate and business lawyer, practicing out of Sahi Law Office in Toronto.
Peter Neal of Whitby was the final candidate to enter the list on July 23.
He is the brother of Oshawa councillor John Neal, and Clarington councillor Joe Neal.
Neal ran for the position of regional chair four years ago, finishing fourth with 14,483 votes or 11.68 per cent on the total vote.