Anna Reynolds gets jump on Damon Thomas in capital chase as Helen Burnet claims Deputy role

HOBARTIANS will wake assured of new mayors for two of the city’s four suburban councils. Councillor Dean Winter claimed victory in Kingborough while Alderman Anna Reynolds is leading the race for Hobart Lord Mayor. Meanwhile Michael Kent has been dumped as Glamorgan-Spring Bay mayor.

Anna Reynolds and family Jarra, Jess and Mark Horstman are all smiles during the vote count. Picture: MATT THOMPSON

GREENS Alderman Helen Burnet will become the next Hobart Deputy Lord Mayor and former Greens Alderman Anna Reynolds appears to be in the box seat to become Hobart Lord Mayor.

Tasmania Electoral Commission provisional figures for the Deputy Mayor role show Ald Burnet way ahead on first preference count with 35.79 per cent of the vote.

In second place is Simon Behrakis well behind on 13.82 per cent.

Ald Burnet was buoyed by the figures but not willing to break out the champagne just yet.

“I’ll wait until the last vote comes in,” she said.

Ald Burnet said it had been a tough campaign for the Greens from the outset.

“We had Anna Reynolds pull out of preselection as a Greens candidate and then we lost a candidate three-quarters of the way through the campaign,” she said.

KINGBOROUGH VOTERS WARM TO WINTER

HUON ELECTS FIRST WOMAN MAYOR

CHIPMAN LIKELY TO RETURN IN CLARENCE

KENT DUMPED FROM MAYOR’S JOB

New Deputy Lord Mayor Helen Burnet. Picture: MATT THOMPSON

Ald Burnet vowed to try to help unite the council after a long campaign.

“There have been so many incumbents running for mayor we have to put that behind us and focus on the next four years,” she said.

Provisional Lord Mayor figures show Ald Reynolds on 23.4 per cent with Alderman Damon Thomas on 13 per cent and Greens Alderman Bill Harvey on 12.25 per cent.

Political analyst Kevin Bonham was not ready to declare Ald Reynolds the victor but said it would be very difficult for any of the other candidates to catch her.

“It’s a big lead and there are a lot of votes exhausting,” he said.

Ald Reynolds said the results were promising.

“I’m feeling excited about the opportunity if it does work out that I’m Hobart’s next Lord Mayor,” she said.

Simon Behrakis is polling well in his tilt for alderman. Picture: MATT THOMPSON

“I would be very honoured to hold the position and would work very hard to represent the Hobart community and lead the city on important issues that are coming up in the next few years.”

Mr Behrakis and Zelinda Sherlock were both polling well could win two of the three vacant seats.

“It’s looking good but I don’t want to count the chickens before the eggs have hatched,” Mr Behrakis said.

Counting resumes on Wednesday.