The race for Windsor mayor got a little less crowded this week.
According to the City's official website, perennial mayoral candidate Ernie "The Baconman" Lamont has withdrawn his name from consideration for the top executive job.
Instead, Lamont has refiled his papers to run for the soon-to-be-vacant Ward 3 seat on City Council. This leaves, as of Friday afternoon, two candidates running for mayor, Ward 4 Councillor Chris Holt, and welder Benjamin Danyluk. That number is expected to change as more candidates may decide to run before the August 19 filing deadline.
So far, Lamont's only confirmed opponent for that seat is Downtown Windsor Business Improvement Association (DWBIA) chairman Brian Yeomans. Incumbent Rino Bortolin is not running again.
The Windsor businessman has been a mainstay in municipal elections for over 20 years. According to the City's records, Lamont had unsuccessfully run for mayor in every municipal election since 2000, except for 2006 and 2010.
Incumbent Mayor Drew Dilkens has not yet announced an intention to file for a third four-year term.
Holt is giving up his Ward 4 council seat to run for mayor. So far, four people have filed to succeed him.
Lamont is not the only candidate in this election cycle to withdraw from one race and refile in another. According to the City, Eric Renaud pulled out as a candidate for Ward 4 Councillor and is now running for a spot on the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board of Trustees. Currie Soulliere withdrew in Ward 4 as well and refiled to run in Ward 5.
