WORLD NEWS | Canada’s largest city elects first woman of color as mayor

TORONTO, June 27 (AP) – Leftist candidate Olivia Zhou was elected mayor of Canada’s largest city on Monday, ending more than a decade of conservative rule.

She is the first woman of color to lead Toronto, one of the most multicultural cities in the world.

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Her victory marks the second time Toronto residents have elected mayor since October, after former mayor John Tory resigned just months into his third term after admitting to an affair with a staff member.

A record 102 candidates turned out to vote on Monday, with about half a dozen high-profile names emerging from the 12-week campaign.

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Zhou got 37 percent support, surpassing Ana Bailao’s 33 percent. The Conservatives backed Blalow late in the campaign.

“In this city, an immigrant kid from St. James Township can stand in front of you as the new mayor,” Zhou said, referring to a high-rise immigrant neighborhood downtown.

The Conservatives are seen as a no-nonsense, low-key moderate conservative, almost the polar opposite of former Toronto mayor Rob Ford, whose tenure was plagued by public drinking and illegal drug scandals.

Mr. Chow has worked on Toronto City Council for 13 years and represented downtown Toronto at the federal level for 8 years.

She pledged to buy more affordable housing. (Associated Press)

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