Windsor voters elect Fred Francis as mayor, ending 12 years of Dilkens leadership

Fred Francis won 28,204 votes in Monday's municipal election, securing 47.6 percent of the total count. He defeated incumbent mayor Drew Dilkens, who received 33.8 percent of the vote. The margin of victory was 8,183 votes. Kat Pasquach finished third with 7,253 votes. The results have not yet been officially certified.

Francis served as the councillor for Ward 1 for 12 years before becoming the executive director of the Multicultural Council of Windsor and Essex County. He now moves into the mayor's office, replacing Dilkens, who has held the position for 12 years. Dilkens previously served as a councillor for 20 years total. His older brother, Eddie Francis, served as mayor from December 2003 to November 2014.

Francis spoke at the Fogular Furlan Club after the election. He stated that voters wanted a shift in direction. “I felt that, so the need for change was there. We were able to tap into that during my campaign with our policies and ideas, and I’m grateful and humbled that the majority of Windsor voters trusted us and believed in our plan,” he said.

One of Francis's immediate goals is to repeal the provincially legislated Strong Mayor Powers on Day One. These powers allow the mayor to propose the municipal budget, veto council amendments or bylaws tied to provincial priorities, appoint and dismiss the Chief Administrative Officer and department heads, and direct staff in writing. “We’re going to repeal it. I won’t use it. We’re going to figure out how to do that; we just won’t use it. That was a big factor at the door. Change was a big factor at the door. Revitalizing the downtown was a huge factor at the door,” Francis said.

Dilkens expressed pride in his tenure, citing the construction of the Fancsy Family Hospital and the arrival of the NextStar Battery Plant as key achievements. “Economic development is something I focused greatly on. We landed, basically landed the unicorn with the NextStar battery factory. I’m incredibly proud of that and always will be, and so many other things,” he said. He noted that losing an election is not new to him, as he lost his first council race in 2003 before winning the following year. “I was hoping not to have that feeling, but listen, I always respect Windsorites and the decision that they made. Today, I respect their decision as well. They clearly wanted change and a different pathway for the city,” Dilkens said.

The next term of council will include four new members and one returning councillor. Five incumbents were re-elected: Frazier Fathers in Ward 2, Renaldo Agostino in Ward 3, Angelo Marignani in Ward 7, Gary Kaschak in Ward 8, and Kieran McKenzie in Ward 9.

Darcie Renaud replaces Francis in Ward 1. Chris Holt returns to Ward 4, replacing Mark McKenzie who did not seek re-election. Ken Acton is the new councillor for Ward 5, replacing Ed Sleiman, who served since 2010. Jeremy Renaud was elected in Ward 6, replacing Jo-Anne Gignac, who served for 23 years.

In Ward 10, Mark Masanovich defeated two-term incumbent Jim Morrison. Masanovich lost to Morrison by 138 votes in the 2022 race. Morrison finished third in the latest voting count.