John Tory re-elected as mayor of Toronto

John Tory has been re-elected as the mayor of Toronto for a second term, beating former city planner Jennifer Keesmaat for the role of the city's top job. 

Incumbent Tory—whose campaign slogan was "Leadership that works"—was forecast to win the vote in weeks leading up to today's election.

Results were announced shortly after 8:15 p.m. today, showing Tory winning 63 per cent of the votes, with Keesmaat following at 23 per cent. 

Continuing his reign as Toronto's 65th mayor, polls showed Tory maintaining strong support among older Torontonians who stated they'd be voting today, especially in areas like Etobicoke, Scarborough, and North York. 

Almost all of the Toronto mayor results came in at once, and it's safe to say @JohnTory has taken it #yyz #elxn2018 #toronotvotes pic.twitter.com/F8TSclxHYV

— Bryan Passifiume (@BryanPassifiume) October 23, 2018

More than three dozen candidates ran for mayor this year, and the race has been a focused one, revolving around issues like affordable housing, transit, and gun crime reduction.

Tory's platform included the promise to ban hand guns, and to build 40,000 affordable rental units in the next 12 years.

He also said he'd match the provincial government's pledge of $25 million toward community safety programs, and would continue investing in bike lane infrastructure across the city.

Though Keesmaat fell short with voters, her entry into the race was one of the most publicized candidacies, considering she entered mid-race following Premiere Ford's controversial slashing of city council.

Her pre-campaign suggestion for a Toronto secession was highly controversial but proved to be a wedge issue in the face of more likely platform promises like the plan to transform golf courses into public land and tearing down a part of the Gardiner Expressway. 

Meanwhile, 31-year-old fringe candidate Saron Gebresellassi made impressive strides during televised debates but only garnered 2 per cent of the  votes.