Danny Breen and Ivy Hanley are facing off to win mayor’s seat in St. John’s while 29 people compete for 11 seats on councilPublished Oct 08, 2025Last updated 9 minutes ago9 minute readSt. John’s residents will be choosing between veteran mayor Danny Breen and municipal newcomer Ivy Hanley when they hit the polls on October 2. CONTRIBUTEDArticle contentIt is (finally) Election Day in St. John’s.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentWith the city’s Chief Returning Officer Theresa Walsh deciding to postpone the municipal election as a result of vote-by-mail complications arising from the ongoing postal disruption, city residents found themselves with a little extra time to ponder over who will represent their interests for the next four years.Article contentArticle contentArticle contentWednesday’s Election Day is procedurally identical to what it would have been on its originally scheduled date, aside from a change in voting location in Ward 2.Article contentThe Knights of Columbus building on St. Clare Avenue had been tapped as a Ward 2 voting centre, but was not available on Oct. 8. This prompted election officials to pivot to a pair of voting centres to service Ward 2, including the Bannerman Park Poolhouse and the First Light Centre for Performance and Creativity.Article contentOn-site parking and accessibility features are available at both sites, as well as at all voting sites in wards across the city.Article contentEligible voters can cast or drop off their votes until 8 p.m. tonight, at which time the count will begin.Article contentElection results will be shared after 8 p.m. on the City of St. John’s website. Final results will be announced when all votes have been tabulated.Article contentArticle contentThe Telegram will bring live results throughout the night here.Article contentArticle contentRaces to watchArticle contentFor the first time since 2017, Danny Breen has some competition in the mayor’s race.Article contentBreen, who first entered city hall as a Ward 1 councillor in 2009, has been challenged by political newcomer and co-owner of Urban Market 1919 Ivy Hanley, whose permitting spat with the City of St. John’s fuelled a business-first approach to her inaugural campaign.Article content Ward 3 city councillor for St. John’s Greg Noseworthy Photo by Contributed /ContributedArticle contentBut there are other key races to watch, too, as 29 individuals compete for 11 seats on council.Article contentOnly two councillors — Jill Bruce in Ward 1 and Greg Noseworthy in Ward 3 — were acclaimed and are assured seats on council.Article content St. John’s City Councillor Jill Bruce. Photo by Rosie Mullaley /Rosie MullaleyArticle contentBack in the 2021 general election, Carl Ridgeley took the Ward 5 seat by a mere 14 votes over Goulds Taxi owner Donnie Earle on a ballot featuring four candidates.Article contentFast forward to the 2025 general election, Ridgeley and Earle are the lone two candidates on the ballot, leaving residents to wonder if the race is destined to be as tight as it was four years ago.Article contentWith Ron Ellsworth eyeing the deputy mayor’s chair, Maggie Burton not seeking re-election and Debbie Hanlon having unfortunately passed away in March, there are plenty of openings in council chambers for the at-large councillor positions.Article contentSandy Hickman is the lone at-large councillor seeking re-election. He and 11 other candidates will be battling for the four available at-large seats.Article contentArticle contentArticle contentChanges comingArticle contentFive additional councillors are also looking to return, but not all of them are seeking the same seat.Article contentRon Ellsworth, who was elected as an at-large councillor in 2021, is once again seeking the deputy mayor’s chair. He served as deputy mayor from 2013 to 2017. The seat is presently vacant, as Sheilagh O’Leary stepped down in August to run in the provincial election.Article contentMayor Danny Breen, Ridgeley, Hickman and Ward 4’s Tom Davis, who was elected via a by-election in March 2024, are all hoping to return to council in the same capacity.Article contentThere will be new representation in Ward 2 as well as among the at-large councillors.Article contentOphelia Ravencroft, who won in Ward 2 in 2021 with over 44 per cent of the vote, is not seeking re-election, nor is at-large councillor Maggie Burton, who has served on council since 2017.Article contentPolls closedArticle contentThe counting of ballots began after polls closed at 8 p.m.Article contentArticle contentAt both Hanley’s and Breen’s camps, supporters have gathered to await results.Article content Ivy Hanley chats with supporters while awaiting election results. Photo by Shauna BernardArticle contentIt was a family-friendly event at Hanley’s gathering.Article contentAbout two dozen people were on hand at the Capitol Hotel to support Breen.Article content Danny Breen, standing, talks with some supporters gathered at the Capitol Hotel on Kenmount Road. Photo by Chris BallardArticle contentVoters turned away?Article contentHanley said around 8:30 p.m. that she’s heard of some voters who have been turned away before they could cast their ballot.Article content“We’re getting a lot of phone calls from residents in the last half-hour, that have waited upwards of an hour, if not more, especially at the Mews Centre, where the lines were over 100 people long. The polls closed at 8 p.m. and they’re not able to vote, after waiting that amount of time, because they’re not through the doors,” she said.Article contentWhile Hanley doesn’t know exact numbers, she said one caller told her there were at least four residents on one street that couldn’t vote.Article contentAnother person, who had an international flight booked, said she was unable to get through the line before she had to depart for the airport at 4:30 p.m. Hanley said the woman explained her situation and she was admitted, but was turned away because she didn’t wait in line.Article content“It was someone who was on Team Hanley, it was a family member, so it’s disappointing to hear that we’ve essentially lost votes,” said Hanley.Article contentHanley was able to provide The Telegram with text messages from a supporter who said they were unable to vote despite returning to the polling station at the Mews Centre several times that day.Article content“Went back two times, both times the line ups were 1 1/2 hours, my neighbour also,” said Carol Parsons. “At the Mews Centre, there were four people working on the ballots, hundreds of people walked away. I’ve been voting for over 50 years, always in and out in 20 minutes.”Article contentParsons said she knows of other people who had similar experiences.Article contentNone of the allegations have been confirmed. The Telegram is attempting to contact the chief returning officer to clarify if anyone was turned away without casting a ballot, but has heard that anyone inside the building before 8 p.m. was permitted to vote.Article contentArticle contentThe Telegram has also been told that results won’t be shared until all polls officially close.Article contentResults coming inArticle contentAt around 9:10 p.m., the first results began coming in. It’s believed more than 24,000 votes were cast in total, so these results represent about half that number.Article contentBreen has a narrow lead on Hanley, with 6,787 votes for Breen (57.46 per cent of votes cast) to 5,024 for Hanley (42.54 per cent).Article content“It’s going to be close,” said Breen as he looked over the results coming in.Article content Former St. John’s councillor Maggie Burton refreshes vote results as mayoral candidate Danny Breen looks on. Photo by Chris BallardArticle contentIn the deputy mayor’s race between Ron Ellsworth, Bianca Lono and Rigel Penman, Ellsworth took the early lead with 6,724 votes (58.95 per cent) to Lono’s 3,654 votes (32.04 per cent) and Penman’s 1,028 votes (9.01 per cent).Article contentIn Ward 2, Brenda Halley was out to an early start with 1,120 votes (47.36 per cent), with Greg Smith trailing with 700 votes, Todd Perrin with 232 votes, Blair Trainor with 138 votes, Greg Dunne with 129 votes and Philip Barton with 46 votes.Article contentArticle contentIn Ward 4, Tom David had a strong lead with 1,179 votes, while Trini Bragg had 533.Article contentIn Ward 5, it’s neck-and-neck, with Donnie Earle ahead with 1,733 votes and Carl Ridgeley with 1,171 votes.Article contentIn the councillor-at-large position, early results are:Article contentKate Cadigan – 7,271Article contentSandy Hickman – 5,374Article contentLynn Hammond – 5,287Article contentNikita Ryall – 4,446Article contentArt Puddister – 3,803Article contentScott Fitzgerald – 3,506Article contentWalter Harding – 3,497Article contentMyles Russell – 2,865Article contentPaul Combden – 1,981Article contentJohn Barbour – 1,489Article contentWallace Ryan – 1,143Article contentThomas Pouliot – 178Article contentAbout 12,000 or so votes are still waiting to be counted.Article content‘No one turned away,’ says cityArticle contentBreen says he’s not hearing of anyone being turned away from polls, saying that’s why it took so long for results to begin coming in, as they’re accommodating voters.Article contentJackie O’Brien, manager of communications for the city, told The Telegram that anyone who was already in line when the polls closed was permitted to vote.Article content“Anyone in line prior to 8 p.m. would not be turned away,” O’Brien told The Telegram shortly before 9:30 p.m.Article content“I can also confirm that no one was turned away at The Mews.Article content“The evening was busy and there were wait times, while there was steady movement throughout the day through the centres. We also had advance polling options right up until yesterday.”Article content Danny Breen supporters gathered at the Capitol Hotel. Photo by Chris BallardArticle content‘A powerhouse of a woman’Article contentGreg Hanley said watching his wife campaign has been a proud moment.Article content“I have nothing but faith in her, and I know she can step up to that challenge,” he said.Article contentHe described Ivy as “a powerhouse of a woman” focused on tackling crime, drug use, and safety in the downtown area.Article content“I personally think that she’s going to take it, but you never know until the ballots come in. I think it’s going to be a tight race.”Article content Ivy Hanley with husband Greg and daughter Rosemary. Photo by Shauna BernardArticle contentGreg said Ivy’s message has resonated with older residents who remember a time when “you could leave your door unlocked or walk the street safely.”Article contentArticle content“In terms of safety, she’d like to get back to that sort of past,” he said. “We need somebody who’s really going to take charge on that, and whether it’s jurisdiction or not, she’ll make it her problem.”Article contentThe room is buzzing as supporters await results for Hanley.Article contentAround 50 people have gathered, the atmosphere is upbeat and expectant.Article contentConversations circle around downtown development, small business support, and city initiatives.Article contentThe venue feels intimate but energetic, bright lights, music flowing, campaign signs, and familiar faces fill the space.Article content‘She brings renewal to the city’Article contentFor Noel Kelly, supporting Ivy Hanley isn’t just about family ties, it’s about her vision for change.Article content“I’m not on Team Hanley because I’m related by marriage,” Kelly said. “I like that she brings renewal to the city. She has vitality, energy, she’s pro-business and willing to listen to everybody. She wants to be inclusive as mayor and bring some vitality to it.”Article contentArticle contentKelly said he’s encouraged by Hanley’s focus on cutting red tape and creating opportunities.Article content“There’s a notion that St. John’s is held back by bureaucracy,” he said. “Other towns seem to get business approvals much faster, and the rules here can stymie opportunities for creating jobs.”Article content Noel Kelly was on hand to support mayoral canidate Ivy Hanley. Photo by Shauna BernardArticle contentHe also pointed to drugs and crime as growing challenges but believes Hanley’s approach, one that values listening and inclusion, could help restore confidence in the city.Article content“As a senior, I’m actually energized by her,” Kelly said. “She’s bringing together new people, and she’s really good at articulating her point of view. I think she’ll bring a new policy to city hall that will revitalize our community.”Article contentMore results inArticle contentDanny Breen grew his lead in the mayor’s race, with another batch of the vote count released around 9:45 p.m.Article contentCheers went up among Breen’s supporters as he pulled ahead with 14,120 votes (57.21 per cent), while Hanley had 10,560 (42.79 per cent) of the 25,094 votes counted so far.Article contentIn the deputy mayor’s race, Ellsworth took a commanding lead with 13,736 votes, while Lono had 7,843 and Penman had 2,215.Article contentIn Ward 2, Halley grew her lead with 2,455 votes, ahead of Smith, who had 1,544; Perrin – 461; Trainor – 301; Dunne – 278; and Barton – 91.Article contentTom Davis in Ward 3 has a commanding lead with 2,668 votes to Trini Bragg’s 1,181.Article contentIn Ward 5, Donnie Earle is well ahead with 3,358 votes, with Carl Ridgeley trailing with 2,343 votes.Article contentFor the councillor-at-large position, here are the current vote tallies:Article contentKate Cadican – 15,196Article contentSandy Hickman – 11,051Article contentLynn Hammond – 11,002Article contentNikita Ryall – 9,283Article contentArt Pudister – 7,805Article contentWalter Harding – 7,356Article contentScott Fitzgerald – 7,248Article contentMyles Russell – 6,168Article contentPaul Combden – 4,167Article contentJohn Barbour – 3,237Article contentWallace Ryan – 2,396Article contentThomas Pouliot – 367Article contentThese are not the final results and are still considered preliminary. Final results will be announced when all ballots are counted.Article contentFinal resultsArticle contentDanny Breen hung on to the lead he had throughout the night to win the St. John’s mayor’s race again.Article contentHere’s a look at the results:Article contentMayor- Danny BreenArticle contentDeputy Mayor – Ron EllsworthArticle contentWard 1 – Jill Bruce (acclaimed)Article contentWard 2 – Brenda HalleyArticle contentWard 3 – Greg Noseworthy (acclaimed)Article contentWard 4 – Tom DavisArticle contentWard 5 – Donnie EarleArticle contentAt Large – Kate CadiganArticle contentAt Large – Sandy HickmanArticle contentAt Large – Lynn HammondArticle contentAt Large – Nikita RyallArticle content
St. John’s election results
