Chelsea Walton wins Stittsville council seat in crowded nine-candidate race

In one of Ottawa’s most hotly contested ward races, Chelsea Walton will be the next voice to represent Stittsville on city council.

Earning 43 per cent of the vote, Walton beat out eight other hopefuls looking to step into the ward’s open seat.

“I am just so unbelievably happy right now,” Walton said just minutes after her win was projected. “I just feel truly grateful for all the support that’s been shown to me.”

Stittsville was one of only two Ottawa wards without an incumbent in the 2026 race. Former councillor Glen Gower had announced he would not seek re-election, keeping his promise to serve no more than two terms after being elected in 2018.

With her five daughters gathered around her, Walton addressed the dozens of supporters gathered at Main Street Pub with a big smile on her face after her victory was declared. Gower was also among those in attendance.

“I have big shoes to fill, but I have learned from one of the best,” Walton told the crowd.

While it’ll be her first time sitting around the council table, Walton is no stranger to the inner workings of city hall after working in the offices of both Gower and College ward Coun. Laine Johnson.

Most recently employed in the City of Ottawa’s traffic services department, she had to take unpaid leave to run her campaign for Stittsville councillor.

“It was a very serious decision,” she said. “There was no point in putting my name forward unless I was all in.”

She’ll be stepping into a role where her constituents have been clear about their top priorities for the next four years, which revolve around improving public transit and managing growth responsibly in the ballooning suburb of 55,000 residents.

Theresa Qadri earned second place with 15 per cent of the vote and was embraced by her family and grandchildren.

“I feel for my team, which are honest, hardworking, intelligent volunteers that I love deeply,” she said. “I’m so honoured for the people that did vote for me, and they saw how much I cared about them and our community.”

Qadri brought a familiar name to the race. Her husband, Shad Qadri, was Stittsville councillor for three terms before Gower unseated him in 2018. She is the chair of the Stittsville Food Bank and is the former president of the Rotary Club of Ottawa-Stittsville.

“I will still work hard for the people of Stittsville because I care about the people of Stittsville,” she said.

Surrounded by friends and glowsticks, Kevin Hua earned third place with 14 per cent of the vote.

“It’s been a lot of fun in this race; it’s also been a lot of work. I am exhausted,” Hua said. “There’s joy, there’s frustration, there’s exhaustion, but that’s also how Stittsville’s feeling right now.”

This is the fourth time in seven years that the 25-year-old candidate is running for office. He earned nine per cent of the vote when he ran in 2022, and he was also Stittsville’s federal NDP candidate in 2019 and 2021.

A total of 40,079 people — or around 39 per cent of Stittsville’s eligible voters — cast their ballots in the Oct. 26 election, according to unofficial election results.

Other Stittsville councillor candidates included: Mani Sharma, a software engineer, farmer and real estate entrepreneur; Sheetal Narwal, a cybersecurity professional and former CEO; Tanya Hein, a paralegal and former president of the Stittsville Village Association who previously ran in 2022; Marie-Ange Yindaki Ahinful, founder and president of nonprofit Leading Ladies Canada; Paul Meek, a small business owner who launched Kichesippi Beer and was awarded the Order of Ottawa in 2015; and shop owner Devin Michael Fitzgerald O’Brien.

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