Vision Vancouver's Gregor Robertson crushed Coun. Suzanne Anton's political ambitions Saturday night in a decisive win that's earned him a second term in the mayor's seat.
As of 10:30 p.m., Robertson had 77,005 votes to Anton's 58,152. Vision Vancouver also secured seven of 10 council seats, according to preliminary results, compared to two seats for the NPAElizabeth Ball and George Affleckand one for the Green Party's Adriane Carr.
Anton, who spent the last three years as the sole NPA representative on council, was gracious in her concession speech.
"Gregor and his team ran a good campaign and the voters made a very clear choice that they want Gregor and his team back for another three years," she said.
Anton said politics is gratifying despite the occasional "poke" from critics and failure at the polls. "People often say to me it's a thankless job. I often say, 'No, it's not a thankless job. I get thanked all of the time," she said. "So please never say it's a thankless job."
Anton was pleased the NPA appeared to have earned at least two council seats.
"I'm so happy some of our team is elected. I am disappointed not all of our team was elected. There will be more balance now at city hall," she said, adding it was difficult over the last three years not to have anyone second her motions. "Now there will be debate at city hall that's much better for the democratic process. They'll be able to ask the questions that need to be asked."
Affleck, who runs Curve Communications, said Anton did an "amazing" job given where she started from. "I'm sad she didn't win," he told the Courier. "I'll be looking to her for a lot of guidance."
Affleck said he predicted Ball, a former councillor, would get elected to council thanks to her name recognition. "We're the opposition, so it's going to be [us] keeping [Vision's] feet to the fire," he said.
Anton and the NPA ran an aggressive election campaign, slamming Robertson for his handling of the Stanley Cup riot and Occupy Vancouver. She called Vision's support for initiatives such as backyard chickens and the lawn-to-wheat program "flakey" and "goofy."
The NPA's so-called "common sense" platform centred on a "neighbourhoods, accountability and prosperity." Promises included a downtown streetcar networkestimated, in 2006, at around $100 million. "I guess the streetcar will have to wait for another three years," Anton told supporters.
Anton also promised to return city budget surpluses to taxpayers, that she would cut at least $1 million in "ineffective Vision Vancouver pet projects," and place a moratorium on more separated bike lanes.
Anton had voted with Vision for a separated bike lane on Hornby and to quash gambling expansion next to B.C. Place stadium, only to later try to distance herself from those policies earning her a reputation for being a flip floppera criticism her Vision lobbed at her throughout the election race.
Debate over Occupy Vancouver overshadowed much of final few weeks before the vote, but the NPA's criticism of his handling of the protest movement didn't seem to hurt Robertson at the polls.
In a scrum following her concession speech, Anton paused when asked if she would have done anything differently in light of the election results.
"Would I do anything differently? You know what, I'll probably have a million ways of second guessing that, but fundamentally I think we ran a strong campaign, but the voters chose to have Vision Vancouver back again and I totally respect that. As I said a moment ago and I'll say it again, I did call Gregor, the current mayor, the future mayor, and wished him well. Clearly people were happy with what they have done over the last three years and have told him to continue over the next three years. I wished him all the very best in that."
It's unclear what the future holds for Anton.
"I did not have a plan B, so we'll just wait and see," she said.
The NPA's Melissa De Genova and John Coupar earned seats on the park board, based on preliminary results, while NPA school board incumbent Ken Denike won a trustee seat along with newcomers Sophia Woo and Fraser Ballantyne.
