LIVE: Regina mayoral candidates await 2024 municipal election ...

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Regina voters had a long list of options to choose from when they cast their ballot for mayor today, with 11 candidates seeking to fill the biggest shoes inside city hall.

And by 10:30 p.m. and all polls reporting, candidate Chad Bachynski was all smiles.

Having booked Regina Brewing for a private party, he watched on with a grin at his lead over former Ward 4 councillor and fellow mayoral candidate Lori Bresciani and incumbent Sandra Masters, in second and third place respectively.

He was surrounded by friends and family, many wearing T-shirts sporting the slogan “Chad Bachynski: Hard to spell, easy to choose.”

In the end, Bachynski led the way with 16,508 votes, or 31.50 per cent of the vote, 3,467 ahead of Bresciani (13,041 votes for 24.89 per cent) and 4,394 ahead of Masters (12,114 for 23.12 per cent). Bill Pratt finished fourth with 6,362 votes for 12.14 per cent.

There were a total of 52,402 votes cast according to the city’s website The other seven candidates were each below three per cent of the vote.

Mayor-elect Chad Bachynski receives a call from Returning Officer and City Clerk Jim Nicol to receive the news he has won the mayoral race at Bachynski’s electoral results headquarters at Regina Brewing Inc on Wednesday, November 13, 2024 in Regina. Photo by KAYLE NEIS /Regina Leader-Post Mayor-elect Chad Bachynski celebrates after receiving the news that he has won the mayoral race at Bachynski’s electoral results headquarters at Regina Brewing Inc on Wednesday, November 13, 2024 in Regina. Photo by KAYLE NEIS /Regina Leader-Post Mayoral candidate Chad Bachynski stands with supporters at Regina Brewing as results of the 2024 municipal election roll in on Nov. 13, 2024. Photo by Jacob Bamhour Sandra Masters speaks to media from the Atlas Hotel after being unseated by mayoral candidate Chad Bachynski in the 2024 municipal election in Regina on Nov. 13, 2024.

After polls closed at 8 p.m., candidates and their supporters set up camp in different locations across the city to await results.

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Shortly before 9 p.m., a crowd at The Hampton Hub in Regina’s Heritage neighbourhood began to take an optimistic tone toward Bachynski as his lead over the incumbent began to solidify.

As his name and vote count showed up on a wall-mounted TV in the corner of the restaurant, comments of “I actually think Chad’s going to win” rippled through the crowd.

Across the city at the Atlas Hotel, Masters also gathered with a watch-party of supporters and campaign volunteers to anxiously await results.

Stagnating in third place behind Bachynski and Bresciani, the mood in the room was somewhat subdued. As Masters prepared to speak with media around 10:30 p.m., Bachynski was making his way to city hall, where the mayor elect typically addresses media.

Regina mayoral candidate Sandra Masters watches the results with supporters while at her watch party headquarters inside the Atlas Hotel on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024 in Regina. Photo by KAYLE NEIS /Regina Leader-Post

Supporters of Bresciani gathered at IKS Media for a watch-party, enjoying pizza amid a buzzing ambience until numbers start coming in.

She was joined by a room full of family, friends, campaign staff and volunteers to close out a busy several weeks of campaigning. Her husband Rob, who is also running for re-election as a Regina Catholic School’s board trustee, was one among the crowd.

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As of 9 p.m., Bresciani was ahead over Masters by nearly 200 votes but behind Bachynski by 1,800.

Earlier in the day, Bresciani said her ultimate decision to take this leap and run for mayor was made because of her family.

“Family is so important,” she said.

Regina mayoral candidate Lori Bresciani meets with supporters while entering her election results headquarters on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024 in Regina. Photo by KAYLE NEIS /Regina Leader-Post

Earlier Wednesday, Leader-Post city hall reporter Larissa Kurz and photojournalist Kayle Neis spent election day dropping in on mayoral candidates to see what they were up to before they settled in for the night.

From early morning workouts and the daily work grind to home projects and relaxing with loved ones, most hopefuls hadn’t donned their politician hats quite yet, but many were feeling some jitters on the final day of the campaign trail.

We reached out to all 11 of the candidates ahead of election day. Here’s a slice-of-life look at the eight who were available Wednesday, a day they hoped would end in celebration.

7:10 a.m. Chad Bachynski takes a moment to brush his daughter’s hair, the last task on the to-do list as the family gets ready to head off to work and school for the day. In the dim light of dawn, he steps out with his two kids to take dogs Archie and Loki for a quick walk around the cul-de-sac.

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8 a.m. Bill Pratt starts his morning with his usual leisurely freestyle stroke in the open lane swim at the YMCA on Rochdale, a regular routine for him several times a week. Today, it served as a welcome way to burn off some nervous energy before hunkering down later to watch results.

9:15 a.m. Sandra Masters stops for a coffee and croissant in Harbour Landing, before heading over to the nearby polling station to cast her ballot. She ends up shaking hands with several folks crossing her path on the way in and out, taking their “good luck’s” with a smile.

11 a.m. Much like any other day, Kevin Kardash is business as usual at his day job detailing vehicles at Bergen’s Autobody and Collision, a place he’s worked for over a year. Asked how he’s feeling, he answers that he and his wife — his unofficial speech writer and campaign manager — are “nervous” but hopeful.

12 p.m. Bob Pearce visits a friend at Wascana Rehab Centre over the noon hour, a friendly sojourn he tries to make as often as he can in any given week. With a few more social calls on the agenda for the day, Pearce was feeling pretty relaxed.

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1 p.m. At the behest of her grandkids — her biggest cheerleaders — an “anxious, nervous, excited” Bevann Fox keeps a close eye on a big pot of a family favourite: a secret chili recipe she guards carefully. Her loved ones will be around later to fill her home for an optimistic supper before tuning in to watch the live results with bated breath.

2 p.m. Shawn Sparvier spends the afternoon out in his yard with his cat, rebuilding a bench for the at-home backyard sauna he built for himself last year. He starts every morning with a sweat and hopes to upgrade his before Regina’s first snow falls.

2:30 p.m. Taking a break from writing thank you notes she plans to send out to residents in her former Ward 4, Lori Bresciani heads out for a walk with her daughter, granddaughter and new pup Willa at Ripplinger Park. The bunnies may distract the dog, but Bresciani is focused on spending the last few hours before the chaos with family.

Other candidates also running for mayor included Melina Bushenlonga, Nathaniel Hewton, and Rod Williams.

Results for the ward races for city council can be found here, and results for both Regina public and Regina Catholic school board trustees will be available here.

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