Langford’s mayor of 30 years has been unseated, along with his council

Scott Goodmanson, a political newcomer, will be Langford’s new mayor, supported by Langford Now’s full slate of candidates and incumbent Lillian Szpak. 

“Now we can do everything we’ve wanted to do,” Coun.-elect Mary Wagner said. Her colleagues at Langford Now were elected by a decisive majority, defeating the incumbent council, who had served in relative cohesion for decades.

At campaign headquarters (City Centre Grille in Langford) on Saturday night, Wagner recalled turning to 18-year council veteran Szpak for advice. “I’m thinking about running [for council] in four years, what do you think?” 

Szpak’s answer was: “Don’t wait. Run this year.”

Wagner went on to earn 4,844 second only to Colby Harder, a 26-year-old political newcomer who earned 5,072 votes. 

Young was ousted by a slim margin of 687 votes. None of Young’s slate of council candidates, Community First Langford, were elected. Incumbent Denise Blackwell and independent candidate Wendy Hobbs also lost out. 

Goodmanson was as surprised as his new council at the results, and credits the voter decision to his campaign of listening to Langford residents. 

“I was just listening to them. There were tears, a lot of times, because they were so frustrated at not being listened to,” he said. “I offered something different [from Young], and this is Langford speaking… I’m really hoping there’s a lot of people excited in Langford right now.” 

Voter turnout was 24% in Langford. That’s higher than the typically low turnout there (18% in 2018), and bucks the regional trend, with most municipalities’ voter turnout declining this year.

The Langford Now slate grew out of a Facebook group called Langford Voters for Change, which started as a conversation between neighbours about how the city was developing. Founders quickly learned they weren’t alone, and the group found common ground in feeling Langford was developing too quickly. 

It was their hoped-for result, but the council-elect admits to being surprised. 

“What we're hearing from complete strangers on the streets was, ‘Yes, we're behind you,’” Coun.-elect Keith Yaccucha said. He realistically expected three out of their slate of five to be elected. “To see the sweep we've had, I'm blown away.”

Young himself had dismissed the slate, saying in an interview with The Westshore this week, “There's too much Not In My Backyard. We see it in Langford with the Langford Now people; they don't understand that we're in a housing crisis, and they want to stop businesses and stop development, and that's going to kill jobs.”

Young continued blasting the Langford Now candidates in an interview with CFAX Radio on Saturday night, calling them inexperienced and accusing them of spreading misinformation.