INUVIK - Inuvik has a new mayor at the helm. Denny Rodgers scored a convincing victory against incumbent mayor Derek Lindsay in Monday's town election.

Rodgers garnered 568 votes to Lindsay's 388.

Denny Rodgers with his campaign manager Diana Tingmiak after finding out he had won the mayoral seat. - Andrew Rankin/NNSL photos

The winning candidate spent the evening at a room at the Mackenzie Hotel with a gathering of supporters which included his wife and several councillor candidates. He said he was floored by the results.

"I'm very surprised," he said. "I thought it was going to be very close. I'm very humbled. All day I was thinking it's going to be within 20 votes. I really, really thought that."

He was quick to lavish praise on the many who supported him throughout his campaign.

"First of all I had a great group of volunteers," he said. "I went door to door and reached about 90 per cent of town residents. It seemed to have worked and it paid off."

He won't be the only fresh face on the eight-seat council. Rodgers will be joined by five newly elected members, including Vince Sharpe, Kurt Wainman, Alana Mero, and Nick Saturnino.

Chris Larocque earned the most votes among councillor candidates with 572 votes and will maintain his position as the town's deputy mayor.

The other three elected members include incumbent councillors Jim McDonald, Terry Halifax and Clarence Wood with 425 votes. They collected the sixth and seventh largest number of votes for councillors respectively.

Incumbent councillor Vince Brown narrowly missed being elected, placing ninth among councillors, while incumbent Grace Loreen finished 12th.

Though disappointed with the large margin of defeat, outgoing mayor Derek Lindsay accepted the result and called Rodgers to congratulate him on his victory. But he admitted the loss was hard to digest.

"I'm a little disappointed, of course I am," he said. "I wish the community was a little more appreciative of what we've done in the last three years. They seem to be quick to forget what's been accomplished in that time and now they'll go on promises of what's to come."

Rodgers thanked Lindsay for his contribution to the town during his tenure as mayor. But now he said he's ready to get to work.

"I want to see where the office is right now, see what files are open, see what's got to be done. We have a great council. It could be a tough couple of years but I see great things in Inuvik on the horizon. I'm ready to put my boots on and get to work."

Some elected councillors celebrated Rodgers' victory at the Mackenzie Hotel, including Terry Halifax, Nick Saturnino and Vince Sharpe.

Almost 200 more mayoral votes were cast in Monday's election, which drew 956 voters, compared to the last town election in 2006, which had a total of 777 votes cast.

Resident Lena Allen showed up to the Midnight Sun Complex to vote on Monday and said she was hoping for some fresh faces on council even though, she added, the previous one didn't do that bad of a job.

"They did OK but I'd like to see a change and I'm going to vote and hope for the best."

Tom Zubko, former mayor of Inuvik, was among those who gathered at Rodgers' hotel room and said he was happy with the results of the election.

"I've always been of the opinion that if you put enough people on the ballot that the electoral will pick a good council and I think they have this time," he said.

He also acknowledged the effort Lindsay put in as mayor but, he said, it's time to look to the future.

"I think Derek always worked hard trying to do the right thing, but things change and that's the past now."