Gail Giles-Gidney has beat Stuart Coppock by 288 votes in the Willoughby mayoral by-election

NORTH SHORE TIMES: Gail Giles-Gidney has won the preference count in the Willoughby mayoral election, beating Stuart Coppock and Tony Mustaca

After three nail biting days, Gail Giles-Gidney was named the Mayor of Willoughby following Saturday’s by-election.

She beat fellow councillors Stuart Coppock and Tony Mustaca in a preference count on Tuesday.

They finished in second and third place respectively after only 117 votes separated the candidates in the initial count.

Cr Giles-Gidney is due to be declared as the winner tomorrow, as long as no other candidate requestes a recount.

When she spoke to North Shore Times today she politely declined to speak until the result was official.

In the end there was 288 votes separating the candidates, with Cr Giles-Gidney finishing on 9094 votes, ahead of Cr Coppock on 8806 votes.

She received 61 per cent of the preferences from Cr Mustaca after he was knocked out in the eighth count.

Willoughby Council will hold another by-election within three months to replace Cr Giles-Gidney’s Sailors Bay Ward seat.

Cr Giles-Gidney has been on Willoughby Council since 2009, winning her seat in a by-election.

She is an independent councillor but has been a member of the Liberal Party for eight years.

Her priorities for the Willoughby area includes protecting the natural and built heritage, easing traffic and parking congestion, optimising sport and recreation facilities and improving community services.

See next Wednesday’s North Shore Times for a full interview with Cr Giles-Gidney.