Mark Sutcliffe, a longtime broadcaster and businessman who positioned himself as a city council outsider during this fall’s election campaign, will be Ottawa’s next mayor.
With more than 260,000 votes cast, Sutcliffe had amassed just over 51 per cent of the vote. Her closest competitor, two-term councilor Catherine McKenney, had just over 38 percent of the vote.
Former Mayor Bob Chiarelli came in third with about five percent.
“What a beautiful night in Ottawa!” Sutcliffe told a raucous crowd during his victory speech at the Lago Events Center in Dows Lake.
“I’m feeling a lot of emotions right now: humility, excitement, joy, a lot of relief. But most of all, I feel incredible gratitude.”
Mark Sutcliffe is flanked by supporters and photographers as he steps to the podium to deliver his victory speech on October 24, 2022. CBC News predicts Sutcliffe will be the next mayor of Ottawa. (Félix Desroches/CBC)
The only one of the top three candidates without elected experience, Sutcliffe was nevertheless known to many voters through his years on the air at CFRA, CPAC and what is now CityNews Ottawa and Rogers TV.
The 54-year-old campaigned on fiscal frugality, pledging to cap property tax increases at 2.5 percent in 2023 and 2024 and continue to keep them low in 2025 and 2026.
He pledged to find $35 million in city savings by, in part, cutting 200 city staff positions.
Sutcliffe’s platform included spending pledges, including $25 million to repair roads and sidewalks and clear snow. Other promises included creating a “recruitment strategy” to attract family doctors to Ottawa, boosting the city’s music and entertainment scenes and building several new dog parks.
He received endorsements from several former mayors of Ottawa, as well as local politicians such as Progressive Conservative MP Lisa MacLeod and Liberal MP Yasir Naqvi;
“I’ve learned a lot during this campaign. For one thing, it’s harder to participate in a debate than to moderate one,” Sutcliffe told the crowd, a nod to his broadcasting roots.
“Also: not everyone is wearing pants when they answer the door.”
Mark Sutcliffe presents his financial platform at a press conference outside Ottawa City Hall earlier in the campaign. (Melanie Campeau/CBC)
‘Let’s move forward’
McKenney was one of the first people to jump into the mayoral race after Jim Watson announced last winter that he would not seek a fourth consecutive term.
First elected as a councilor for the Somerset ward in 2014, McKenney’s profile rose when he became a face of public opposition to the weeks-long occupation of downtown Ottawa by Freedom Convoy protesters .
If elected, they would have become the first non-binary trans mayor of a major Canadian city.
In his concession speech, McKenney acknowledged it wasn’t the result his campaign had hoped for, while vowing to wake up Tuesday morning and keep working for the “city we deserve.”
McKenney also complimented Sutcliffe, saying they truly believed he had a vision and wanted to improve Ottawa.
“It’s tough and it’s disappointing, but we’re going to move forward. We are. We owe it to the thousands of voters who have put their faith in our campaign,” McKenney told the crowd at the All Saints Event Center to cheers.
“Let’s share a few drinks tonight. They don’t suit me, though! I’m unemployed. No soft landing here.”
Catherine McKenney delivers remarks during her concession speech on Monday night. If elected, McKenney would have become the first non-binary trans mayor of a major Canadian city. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press)
For his part, Sutcliffe said he had always respected McKenney, and that respect only grew over the course of the campaign.
“Catherine is a trailblazer. Catherine is an incredibly passionate advocate for the most vulnerable,” she said. “And Catherine has an unmatched ambition for what our city could be.”
Born and raised in Ottawa
Born in Ottawa in 1968, Sutcliffe graduated from St. Pius X and enrolled at Carleton University before dropping out to work at rock radio station Chez 106.
He held various on-air positions, while co-founding the Ottawa Business Journal.
Sutcliffe has served on numerous boards, including Algonquin College and the Ottawa Board of Trade, while volunteering for causes such as the United Way and the Ottawa Community Housing Foundation.
In 2016, he was appointed a Member of the Order of Ottawa.
An avid long-distance runner, Sutcliffe has also written two books about his experiences, Why I Run and The Road to Boston. He lives in Wellington Village with his wife and children.
Mark Sutcliffe speaks during an environment debate on September 28. Also shown are the candidates from left to right: Nour Kadri, former mayor Bob Chiarelli and Somerset Coun. Catherine McKenney, whom Sutcliffe considered his main rival. (Patrick Louiseize/CBC)