KITCHENER -- Scott Hamilton has been named the winner of the Ward 7 byelection in Cambridge.

Hamilton had 392 votes out of total 1,232 ballots cast in the byelection.

“On behalf of Cambridge City Council, we’re so pleased to welcome Scott Hamilton to the horseshoe,” Mayor Kathryn McGarry said in a news release. “Frank Monteiro left some big shoes to fill but we know that Scott will hit the ground running, provide dedicated service to the residents of Ward 7, and be a passionate advocate for the Cambridge community.”

The seat has been vacant for nearly a yer. Former Coun. Frank Monterio died last October. The byelection was originally scheduled for March, but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The results were made official on Tuesday. City Clerk Danielle Manton said the candidates received the votes reported.

“I think the issues that Cambridge is experiencing as a city is the encroachment of the GTA, to the large issues like the LRT to environmental challenges," Hamilton said. "I really think we are at an exciting part in the city where we can face all of these challenges together.”

The byelection wrapped up with a voter turnout of 21.11 per cent, the city said in a news release.

Here is a breakdown of the results:

  • Scott Hamilton: 392 votes
  • Connie Cody: 361 votes
  • Manuel da Silva: 187 votes
  • Cole Boland: 166 votes
  • Vandan Patel: 81 votes
  • Simon Weresch: 19 votes
  • R.J. Johnston: 13 votes
  • Cody Botelho: 12 votes
  • Sandra Lemieux: 0 votes

Residents could vote in person, and several people at the polling station told CTV News they were comfortable with the measures in place. The city also offered curbside voting so people could vote from their vehicles if they weren't comfortable going inside.

"That planning includes providing all electors with a Sharpie to mark their ballot with," Manton said. "Electors have the option to take that Sharpie with them."

The city originally budgeted $80,000 for the byelection. Officials tacked on an additional $135,000 to cover the costs of pandemic safety measures.

"We don't anticipate that we will need that $135,000 total additional budget and we don't know what our total cost will be," Manton said.