ST. JOHN’S, N.L. — A judicial recount to help settle a teenager’s battle for a mayoral seat in Newfoundland is unfolding today in a St. John’s courtroom.
Nineteen-year-old Kurtis Coombs was elected on Sept. 29 in the town of Paradise, near St. John’s, becoming Canada’s youngest mayor.
He won by just three votes over incumbent Ralph Wiseman, but the stunning victory was short-lived.
A local recount put the two candidates in a dead tie, but that was broken when their names were put into a recycling bin and Wiseman’s name was drawn.
Coombs, a political science student at Memorial University in St. John’s, asked for a recount in provincial court.
Results are expected later today.