Shawn Lewis poses with his London Bandits sweater, a local minor hockey team he manages.
While Monday saw the nation’s first use of ranked ballots in a municipal election, local history was made with the election of Shawn Lewis as Ward 2 city councillor.
By margin of more than 1,500 votes, Lewis unseated incumbent Bill Armstrong, London’s longest-serving politician.
Monday’s election also saw Lewis become the city’s first openly gay councillor-elect.
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Lewis tells XFM News it felt great to be the first to cross the municipal finish line from the LGBTQ community.
“What I really hope it does is send a message… that regardless of who you are with your sexual orientation, you can aspire to public office too,” said Lewis.
As for what’s to come, Lewis says he plans to make small neighbourhood issues a big focus during his time on council.
“Whether it’s sitting in a coffee shop and chatting with [constituents] and listening to what they have to say. Whether it’s getting that pothole fixed or that stop sign that somebody wants in their neighbourhood done,” said Lewis.
“It’s those little things that I think are really important that they felt were missing.”
Along with the rest of city council, Lewis will be sworn in in early December.
