By Karthicka Rathnam
CORNWALL — The 2026 municipal election may not have delivered Vamini Mohanathas a seat on City Council, but the results reveal a remarkable first campaign. At just 30 years old, Mohanathas secured 3,620 votes, finishing 10th among 26 candidates, just 182 votes behind ninth place and 520 votes short of the eighth and final council seat.
In a municipality where political familiarity, institutional connections, and decades of public service often carry considerable weight, Mohanathas entered the race without the advantage of previous elected office.
She was competing against some of Cornwall’s most established political and community figures.
The political experience behind the top nine
The scale of the competition becomes clear when examining the candidates who finished ahead of her:
- Todd Lalonde: Catholic school board trustee and chair from 2006–2022. His father, Ray Lalonde, and brother, Perry Lalonde, both served on Cornwall City Council.
- John Cameron: More than 30 years in education, including serving as Principal, Superintendent, and Director of Education for the Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario.
- Dean Hollingsworth: First elected to Cornwall City Council in 1991, accumulating 20 years of municipal council experience across multiple terms.
- Todd Bennett: Sitting councillor who served from 2018–2026, completing two consecutive terms.
- Jason Riley: IBM professional with 19 years of experience, Vice-Chair of ACCFutures, member of three municipal committees, and community volunteer for more than 35 years. Also ran for Council in 2022.
- Denis Sabourin: Councillor from 2022–2026, former Chief of Staff to MP Bob Kilger for 11 years, and Catholic school board trustee for 15 years.
- Elaine MacDonald: Councillor from 2006–2026, completing five consecutive terms and 20 years of municipal service.
- Joël Côté: Former councillor from 2003–2006, with extensive public-sector management and banking experience.
- Claude Poirier: Former Cornwall city councillor who served five terms in municipal office.
10. Vamini Mohanathas — 3,620 votes
No previous elected office. No established electoral base from earlier campaigns. A first-time candidate competing against decades of political history.
Yet Mohanathas finished ahead of sitting councillor Fred Ngoundjo, who placed 11th with 3,579 votes.
The result carries another striking distinction. Cornwall reduced its council from ten seats to eight in 2026. Had the previous ten-seat structure remained, and the results been identical, Mohanathas would have finished within the number of available council positions.
Reflecting on the election, Mohanathas acknowledged the calibre of the candidates she competed against.
“To think that I entered this election as a newcomer to municipal politics and had the opportunity to go toe-to-toe with such established names in Cornwall, earning the confidence of 3,620 residents, is an incredible honour and accomplishment in itself,” she wrote.
Beyond the ballot: A historic moment for representation
The election also marked a significant milestone for Cornwall’s Tamil and South Asian communities.
Mohanathas, who describes herself as the first Tamil Canadian to run for Cornwall City Council, entered a political arena where South Asian representation has been limited.
Her candidacy raised a broader question about who sees themselves reflected in municipal leadership, and whether younger Canadians from immigrant and racialized communities view local elected office as a realistic avenue for public service.
Representation is not simply about having a name on a ballot. It is about demonstrating that political participation and leadership are not reserved for those with established family connections, longstanding public profiles, or previous electoral victories.
For young Tamil and South Asian Canadians growing up in Cornwall, seeing a candidate from their community compete alongside experienced political figures expands the possibilities of what local leadership can look like.
“This is a win for our Tamil community, our South Asian community, for representation, and for the next generation who deserve to see themselves in positions of leadership,” Mohanathas stated.
Her candidacy was also grounded in professional qualifications rather than representation alone. Having worked in the City of Cornwall’s Finance Department, federal public service, and financial services, Mohanathas campaigned on fiscal responsibility, housing affordability, government transparency, economic development, and retaining younger generations in Cornwall.
The election results do not reveal why individual residents voted for her. What they establish is that 3,620 votes went to a first-time candidate competing against sitting councillors, former elected officials, and individuals with decades of institutional leadership experience.
For Mohanathas, the election was an introduction to municipal politics. For Cornwall, it was an opportunity to see a different background represented in a serious citywide campaign.
“My commitment to Cornwall has never been about holding a title, and it certainly does not end here,” she wrote following the results.
The eight elected councillors will take their seats at City Hall. That is the outcome of the election. But Mohanathas’s 10th-place finish deserves examination on its own terms.
She entered her first election against political veterans, finished ahead of a sitting incumbent, and came within 520 votes of City Council.
And in doing so, she gave Cornwall’s Tamil and South Asian communities something that extends beyond one election: a visible example of participation in municipal politics at a level that had not previously been represented by a Tamil Canadian candidate in the city.
Vamini Mohanathas did not secure a council seat in 2026. But 3,620 votes ensured that her first campaign would be more than a footnote in Cornwall’s electoral history.
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