His Worship
Dan Carter
Carter in 2022
Mayor of Oshawa, Ontario
Assumed office
December 1, 2018
Preceded byJohn Henry
Durham Region Councillor
In office
2014–2018
Personal details
Professionbroadcaster

Dan Carter is a Canadian politician, currently the mayor of Oshawa, Ontario.[1] Elected in the 2018 municipal election, he succeeded John Henry on December 1, 2018.[2]

Background

Carter campaigned on the theme that his background gave him special insight into how to manage the city's social and economic problems.[3] He struggled with severe dyslexia as a child, leaving him functionally illiterate, and was sexually abused by a stranger at age 8.[4] After his older brother Michael was killed in a motorcycle accident when Carter was 13, he fell into drug and alcohol addiction, and was homeless for most of his late teens and 20s,[4] but when his sister Maureen gave him an ultimatum at age 31 that it was time for him to either sober up or die, he entered rehab and began to rebuild his life.[4]

He went onto a successful career in broadcasting, becoming executive producer of programming for the city's CHEX-TV,[5] as well as serving as a motivational speaker on topics including leadership, challenges of living in poverty, mental health and addiction.[4]

Political career

Carter (centre-right) at the 2023 Oshawa Walk of Fame Gala Dinner

In the 2014 municipal election, Carter was elected to a regional council seat.[5] He served as vice-chair of the city's finance committee under Nancy Diamond, and ascended to chair after Diamond's death in 2017.[6] His campaign pledges in that election included the creation of an angel fund to provide financial assistance to new business startups, as part of a comprehensive economic diversification strategy.[5]

He won the mayoral election in 2018 with 69 per cent of the vote.[4] One of his main campaign themes in the mayoral election was improving access to health and social services in the city, in light of its ongoing crises with homelessness and opioid addiction.[4]

Electoral record

Oshawa Mayoral Election (2022)[7]
Candidate Vote %
Dan Carter 14,270 64.94
Sara Lear 4,748 21.61
Joe Ingino 2,956 13.45
Oshawa Mayoral Election (2018)[8]
Candidate Vote %
Dan Carter 17,651 69.35
Sara Lear 2,899 11.39
Joe Ingino 1,409 5.54
Bob Rutherford 1,083 4.26
Adam Kunz 1,060 4.16
Kenneth Carruthers 983 3.86
Rosaldo Russo 367 1.44

References

  1. ^ "Oshawa election: Dan Carter elected mayor". CBC News Toronto, October 22, 2018.
  2. ^ "Dan Carter handily elected as mayor of Oshawa". Toronto Star, October 22, 2018.
  3. ^ "An ex-homeless man could be Oshawa's next mayor. Here's a look at 3 fascinating GTA election races". Toronto Star, October 17, 2018.
  4. ^ a b c d e f "How Oshawa's new mayor recovered from addiction and got off the streets". As It Happens, October 23, 2018.
  5. ^ a b c "Oshawa's new Regional councillor Dan Carter to target economic growth". DurhamRegion.com. Metroland Media Group. November 12, 2014. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
  6. ^ "Dan Carter reflects on long journey to Oshawa mayor's seat". DurhamRegion.com. Metroland Media Group. October 23, 2018. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
  7. ^ "2022 Oshawa Municipal Election Results" (PDF). City of Oshawa. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
  8. ^ "2018 Oshawa Municipal Election Results" (PDF). City of Oshawa. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
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