Neethan Shan wins Ward 42 Scarborough-Rouge River municipal byelection

NeethanShanhas won theScarborough-RougeRiver (Ward 42) municipalbyelectionheld to replace former citycouncillorRaymond Cho.

Shan won the ballot by a margin of 4763 votes, representing 45.76 per cent of the total, according to the city's website.

Shan is a current Toronto District School Board trustee and will replace Cho, who left his council seat vacant last fall after winning theScarborough-RougeRiver provincialbyelection,replacing Liberal MPP BasBalkissoon.

• Nearly 30 candidates vying for city council seat in Ward 42 byelection

"People in this community feel like they're not being given the importance the community deserves,"Shan told CBC Torontoahead of thebyelection.

Shan took up a trustee position in January 2016. His win could mean yet another byelection for the area, this time to fill his vacant trustee spot.

Twenty-nine candidates vied to replace Cho.

Following the results, Mayor John Tory congratulated Shan on the win.

"The voters in Ward 42 have sent a strong message that they want a councillor who supports the Scarborough subway extension. I look forward to working with Councillor-Elect Shan to push ahead on the project that the people of Scarborough have voted for time and time again," Tory said.

Monday's byelectionmarked the first time Cho's name isn't on the ballot since the ward's creation 17 years ago.

Advanced voting was heldlast weekend and polls were open Monday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.