BRAMPTON, Ont. Months after sexual misconduct allegations forced him to step down as leader of Ontario’s Progressive Conservatives, Patrick Brown has made a political comeback _ this time as a city mayor.
The embattled politician has defeated Brampton Mayor Linda Jeffrey, a former provincial Liberal cabinet minister who was backed by several high-profile politicians, including some of Brown’s former colleagues.
The municipal election in the city northwest of Toronto was Brown’s latest attempt at resurrecting his political career after his dramatic resignation in January amid allegations he has vehemently denied.
Doug Ford, who became Progressive Conservative leader after a turbulent party convention, took the Tories to a majority win in the spring provincial election.
Brown, 40, then ran a short-lived campaign to become chair of Peel Region, an elected position that Ford abruptly turned into an appointed role just three months shy of today’s municipal election.
Brown _ who represented residents of Barrie, Ont., municipally and federally before becoming a provincial legislator for an area north of the city _ recently moved to Brampton with his newly wed wife.