UPDATED: Mozdzen sweeps school trustee race

Candidate Shawna Mozdzen swept the competition Thursday night, winning more than half the votes in a seven-person contest for a Brandon School Division trustee seat, unofficial election results show.

She received 2,229 votes — 56.7 per cent of the total — and came in 1,767 votes ahead of second-place finisher Henry Sieklicki.

Mozdzen, a school support and educational assistant, ran on a platform of ensuring students and families feel supported, included and safe in local schools.

“I’m deeply grateful for the support I’ve received this month — I appreciate it all,” Mozdzen told the Sun as the last polls were reported.

“This campaign was about listening, learning and leading with heart and looking forward to working together with the school division, families and our community to make the best decisions for all students.”

Mozdzen, who watched results come in with some of her closest friends and supporters Thursday evening, said being a people person is what helped her win the race.

“I am just a community-based person. I put people first, and I’m here for the people. I just want to make sure that our students are successful. And I think people know that, and people know me from working in the community, in the Brandon School Division, in Prairie Mountain Health,” she said.

Third-place finisher Himanshu Shah, a public health worker, ran a campaign focusing on making schools safer and more supportive for students, teachers and families.

“I’m happy with whatever I have,” Shah said when the Sun called him and it appeared he would finish second, with two polls not reported. “Good support forms community as well.”

He said he was happy because it was the first time he put himself forward for an elected position, and that he’s grateful for the community support he received.

He also congratulated Mozdzen on her win.

“She did pretty well, and I want to wish her congratulations,” he said. “I wish her all the best for this position.”

The Sun reached out to Sieklicki, a retired health-care administrator, but he did not answer phone calls during the evening.

Once Mozdzen joins the rest of the trustees for her one-year term, she will be part of a team, she said.

“I’m going to listen, learn and lead. So, we need to all be at the table together. We need to work together, and we need to find the decisions all together. It’s not just one person, it’s a whole board, and I believe that bringing everyone’s voices to the table will make it more successful,” Mozdzen said.

Mozdzen also thanked the community.

“I felt very supported by the Brandon community,” she said. “Thank you to everyone who took part in this election. Brandon is better for everyone who is willing to do the work.

“Migwetch, thank you to everyone who supported me.”

Other candidates in the Ward 1 vote included École New Era School parent council member Laura Armitage, insurance brokerage manager Michael Grantham, Habitat for Humanity community engagement manager Bonnie-Lynn Mills and 911 dispatcher Eren Oleson

Of the 3,929 votes cast, 596 of them were from advanced polls and in sealed ballots, the senior election official told the Sun earlier this week

The official results posted on the City of Brandon’s website were:

• Shawna Mozdzen — 2,229

• Henry Sieklicki — 462

• Himanshu Shah — 413

• Bonnie-Lynn Mills — 315

• Michael Grantham — 262

• Laura Armitage — 208

• Eren Oleson — 34

The byelection took a couple of surprising turns in its last days.

On Tuesday, Oleson told the Sun that he would be voting for Mozdzen as he “was not the best candidate.” He urged voters to do their own research on all the candidates.

On Wednesday, Sieklicki and the St. Augustine of Canterbury Roman Catholic Church denied having any involvement in writing a letter of support for Sieklicki claiming to be from the church. The letter circulated online in the days ahead of the byelection.

Both Mills and Sieklicki ran in the division’s 2023 byelection.

Turnout in the byelection was 11.1 per cent, from 35,447 eligible voters. Six ballots were rejected. Turnout in the Brandon ward in 2023’s byelection was 10 per cent.

The byelection was triggered when Blaine Foley resigned his seat in March.

The next general school board election is Oct. 26, 2026, the same time as the municipal election.

» alambert@brandonsun.com