Zuccolo elected Charlottetown’s first woman mayor in 50 years

Amir Zuccolo has been elected mayor of Charlottetown, becoming the first woman to hold the job in more than 50 years, according to unofficial results from Elections P.E.I. reported by CBC News on Monday night.

Zuccolo, a chemist and biotech entrepreneur, took just over 5,000 votes in a seven-candidate race. That was more than 1,500 votes ahead of incumbent Philip Brown, who was seeking a third term, CBC reported.

“After a long campaign, we were continually hearing that people in the city wanted change,” Zuccolo told CBC News. “There were different issues depending on where we went, but change was on everyone’s mind, and this time, it was on the ballot.”

She will be only the second woman to lead the P.E.I. capital. Dorothy Corrigan was mayor in the late 1960s and early 1970s, according to CBC. Zuccolo said she had support from women of all ages during the campaign and that she is pleased to deliver on that.

Brown, first elected in 2018 and re-elected in 2022, conceded and congratulated Zuccolo. He told CBC News he was pleased with his campaign and record, but that voters had spoken. “I think that I can walk away and say that I’ve done a good job,” Brown said.

Zuccolo said her first step as mayor will be to meet the new city council, which will include four new faces, and begin work on key issues. Three of the council’s 10 positions were acclaimed, while voters decided the seven contested wards.

The results are unofficial and Elections P.E.I. has not yet confirmed final totals. The vote followed a campaign we covered in our guide to voting in Charlottetown’s Nov. 2 municipal election.

Charlottetown has also been in the news for other reasons this fall, including its top Atlantic tap water taste honours.

This story is developing and is based on reporting by CBC News.

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