CivMin alumnus Kevin Rupasinghe (ElecE BASc 1T6+PEY, CivE MEngCEM 2T1) placed second in the November 30, 2023 City of Toronto’s Ward 20 byelection. The Ward 20 seat was left vacant when former councillor Gary Crawford resigned in July to run as a PC candidate in the provincial byelection for Scarborough-Guildwood.
According to unofficial results, Parthi Kandavel, received 4,641 votes to Rupasinghe’s 3,854 in the byelection. Kandavel is a former Toronto District School Board trustee and one of 23 candidates running for the position. Official results are expect to be certified by the City’s clerk next week.
Rupasinghe first sought a seat with city council in the 2022 general election. The alumnus has extensive experience as a cycling advocate in Toronto, predominantly with Cycle Toronto, and has been outspoken about seeking electoral reform in the form of ranked ballots, as a 2020 Toronto Star op-ed piece illustrated.
By Phill Snel