Gloria Gaynor’s hit anthem “I Will Survive” was blaring earlier tonight at Sydney lord mayor Clover Moore’s election party in Darlinghurst,as she thanked some of her 500-strong army of election day volunteers.
Cr Moore is on track to overcome a swing against her to return as the lord mayor of the City of Sydney. Another term of three years would stretch her reign at Town Hall to two decades. On Saturday night,she told the cheering crowd it had been a challenging campaign.
“This is an election that was put off twice,and we were told we couldn’t hand out[how to vote cards] at polling booths.
“I just wondered if people would remember[what to do]. But clearly they did,and it’s a fantastic result.”
Cr Moore thanked the five “brilliant” members of her team on the former council,and paid tribute to the other five candidates on her ticket,saying “we seem to have a majority” on the new council. Voters elect 10 councillors on the City of Sydney,including the mayor.
“We don’t know how many are going to be elected,” she said.
Cr Moore said her team of long-time volunteers,staff and supporters had “built up something really special in Sydney.
“I started it as MP for Sydney,and I have passed the baton on to[sitting MP] Alex[Greenwich,her campaign manager]. We are formidable.”
Early counting on Saturday night suggested Cr Moore had lost voters in the mayoral race to independent Yvonne Weldon – the first Aboriginal Australian to run for Sydney lord mayor – and Labor candidate Linda Scott.
While she may not repeat her thumping 2016 victory,when she won almost 58 per cent of the vote,Cr Moore was still streets ahead of both candidates,who had secured about 16 per cent of the vote each on Saturday night.