Windsor Voters to Decide Mayoral Race on Monday
Taxes, transit, and leadership style have been key issues in the campaign.
Windsor voters head to the polls on Monday to elect a mayor and city councilors.
Five candidates are running for mayor: Tom Hensel, Frank Dyck, Ernie “The Bacon Man” Lamont, Matt Marchand and Drew Dilkens.
But political analysts say the race is really between first-term incumbent Mayor Drew Dilkens and former head of the Windsor-Essex Chamber of Commerce Matt Marchand.
Key issues in the race include crime, public transit, and taxes.
Pat Papadeas is a professor at Saint Clair College in Windsor. She is also the co-host of a podcast called “Rose City Politics.” Papadeas says the upcoming election will hinge on the leadership style of each of the candidates.
“Matt Marchand puts himself out as the type of candidate who will work with people,” says Papadeas.
“I think what he’s putting out there is bringing forward sort of a marked difference between his style and the incumbent’s style.”
Papadeas says Mayor Dilkens’ background as a city councilor and a first-term incumbent who followed Windsor Mayor Eddie Francis into office, explains his technique.
“Drew Dilkens has a style that many people would feel is not the open-door, approachable-mayor type,” says Papadeas.
“He very much makes decisions, and in many ways, brings forward ideas that perhaps not have received a lot of consultation by the community.”
Dilkens was elected to his first term as mayor in 2014 with more than 55% of the vote, outpacing 11 other candidates.
The polls in Windsor will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Monday, October 22nd.
Click the button above to listen to an interview with Pat Papadeas. You can listen to a debate on CBC Windsor between Drew Dilkens and Matt Marchand here.
