Giovanna Simpson has been elected Burnie mayor, moving up after eight years as the city’s deputy.
Simpson finished with 57.7% of the vote after preferences, ahead of councillor Chris Lynch on 42.3%, according to final figures released by the Tasmanian Electoral Commission on Thursday.
She won by 1,752 votes, having secured the most first-preference votes with 28.7%.
Sitting mayor Teeny Brumby received 2,506 first-preference votes, about 20%, while Lynch took 15.5%.
Lynch overtook Brumby on preferences from other candidates.
Brumby was excluded at the final stage of the count, with her preferences pushing Simpson past the number of votes needed to win.
Simpson told Pulse the result “suggests that people want change”.
“I’m a person that really, everything I do is literally for my city. It’s for Burnie. I don’t do things for myself,” she said.
“I think that’s really showed and it has proven itself to be what the people want.”
She said the win felt “quite surreal” and that “literally my whole life here in Burnie has been working for the community”.
Simpson said stepping up from deputy mayor was a risky move, but she felt ready.
“I felt that it was my time and I just felt really confident in myself,” she said.
She said her first priority would be bringing the new council together.
She praised former mayors Alvwyn Boyd and Steve Kons, as well as Brumby, for leading the way.
“It doesn’t take one, it takes the whole table,” she said.
Simpson has twice run for the Liberal Party in the state seat of Braddon.
In 2024, she was the last candidate standing against independent Craig Garland for the final seat, but lost by about 1,400 votes.
Lynch, a sitting councillor, ran for Labor in Braddon at the same election.
Simpson’s win comes as women look set to lead several councils across the north-west coast.
The make-up of Burnie’s new seven-member council is yet to be finalised.
