Former Toronto school trustee Chris Moise is Ward 13 Toronto Centre’s newest city councillor.
Moise earned 10,457 votes, which accounted for 48.5 per cent of total votes, according to final poll numbers. Longtime community advocate Nicki Ward finished in second place with 3,940 votes (18.3 per cent of the vote).
Following the official announcement of his win, Moise tweeted, “thank you! While results say that I won, the reality is that we won. Thank you to Toronto Centre and everyone who helped and supported our campaign. The real work begins now.”
Chris Moise won almost half of total votes to become Ward 13’s newest councillor. Photo courtesy of Chris Moise’s Twitter account.
According to his platform, Moise’s top priorities include expanding affordable housing, addressing community safety, creating walkable and pedestrian-friendly neighbourhoods and building more reliable public transit.
In an interview with CJRU after he launched his campaign in August, Moise said his role as school trustee prepared him for the city council job.
Moise said he has a “unique lens” sitting at board table meetings as a gay Black man and understands the needs for community and its several minority groups.
Further, as a member of the Toronto Centre community, he said he knows there are “deep pockets of poverty” in the ward. Moise’s platform proposes to create various types of housing to ensure all residents can afford a home.
“Housing should be a right, not a privilege,” Moise told CJRU.
Moise will replace interim Coun. Robin Buxton Potts, who ran for the Ward 11 University-Rosedale council seat. Buxton Potts finished in third place to Dianne Saxe and Norm Di Pasquale on election night.
During his campaign, Moise gained endorsements from former Ward 13 Coun. Kristyn Wong-Tam, the Toronto Star Editorial Board, Local 75 union for hospitality workers and Progress Toronto – a non-profit organziation advocating for a more just, democratic city.
Moise is expected to be sworn in as the new Ward 13 city councillor on Nov.15.
More details to come.
Listen to CJRU’s coverage of Chris Moise’s win in Ward 13:
