Jérémie Fernandes (SNP), Sandy Keith (Labour) and Amber Dunbar (Conservatives) elected to represent Elgin City North at local government elections
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THREE new councillors have been elected to represent Elgin City North.
Jérémie Fernandes (SNP), Sandy Keith (Labour) and Amber Dunbar (Conservatives) have been elected to represent the ward at the local government elections.
All three were elected at stage one of the voting process. Jérémie Fernandes received 1199 votes, Sandy Keith received 1048 and Amber Dunbar got 952.
Independent councillor Graham Jarvis got 170 votes, Rebecca Kail (Greens) got 165 and Neil Alexander (Liberal Democrat) got 144.
Turnout in the ward was 40.2 per cent, with 3710 of the 9228 eligible voters turning out. There were 32 rejected ballot papers.
Jérémie Fernandes was pleased to be elected – becoming the first Hispanic councillor in Moray.
He said: "I'm absolutely delighted. It's a great result.
"To be first on first preferences shows the strength of the SNP in Elgin North so I'm delighted.
"On a personal level, I'm the first Hispanic to be elected to the council.
"I was going round the ward, knocking on doors, and quite a lot of people from other countries were voting for me saying they need representation on the council.
"I will obviously represent everyone in Elgin City North but it's nice to have that angle on the council."
Labour councillor Sandy Keith, who is set for a second stint on the council, said he was hoping to improve the standard of councillor in the ward.
"We are very happy to be elected and to make sure Labour is back in the running in Elgin City North.
"More importantly, we want to start giving the people of Elgin City North a councillor who will work hard because over the last five years we have been poorly served.
"I put a lot of work into the campaign and people who remember me from the past know I put in a lot of work.
"I'd like to think I deserve their support and I'll be working over the next five years to show I'm really happy to receive their support."
Conservative councillor Amber Dunbar is excited to represent the ward in which she has grown up and spent her life.
"Elgin has been my home my whole life and it always will be home so it just means so much to be elected by the people of Elgin City North and I'm excited to get on with the job," she said.
"I love Elgin. I'm really proud to be from here and proud to be able to represent the people here."
