Second time’s the charm for new Cantley mayor

Political newcomer David Gomes wins with 58 per cent of vote

A newcomer to the Cantley political scene beat a sitting councillor in the race to become mayor.

David Gomes, who’s never held elected office before but was endorsed by outgoing Mayor Madeleine Brunette, beat District des Monts councillor Aimé Sabourin by a margin of 531 votes, according to preliminary results.

David Gomes won the Nov. 7 municipal election with 1,883 votes to become Cantley’s next mayor. Low Down file photo

Gomes, who has lived in Cantley for 17 years, campaigned on improving the quality of life in the municipality, increasing resident participation in municipal affairs, protecting the environment, increasing road safety, and creating an infrastructure maintenance plan.

According to Élections Québec preliminary results, Gomes received 1,883 votes while Sabourin got 1,352. Of the 8,202 registered voters in Cantley, only 3,235 valid votes were cast in the mayor’s race.

Gomes, a 43-year-old chartered accountant and administration and finance teacher at College de l’Outaouais in Hull, previously ran for Cantley mayor in 2017.

Gomes didn’t return multiple requests for comment before The Low Down’s publishing deadline.