A NEW councillor will be elected for Wrexham tonight (Thursday, January 23), as Smithfield ward residents cast their vote.
Six people are competing for that role in today's by-election.
Residents who are eligible to vote are urged to visit the polling station at St Peter's Church Hall, Smithfield Road, between 7am and 10pm.
Smithfield has proved to be somewhat of a swing seat in recent elections.
READ MORE: Suspended Wrexham Councillor 'should not become Mayor'
It was held for nearly 10 years by Plaid Cymru’s Keith Gregory before he stepped down ahead of the 2017 election.
Welsh Labour’s Adrienne Jeorrett won the seat in 2017 after a contest in which Cllr Williams was also a candidate, but she also stood down ahead of last year’s election which saw Cllr Williams wrestle the seat back for Plaid with 41 per cent of the vote.
He achieved seven per cent more votes than the runner-up in the ward, Labour’s Patricia Williams, in a contest in which there was a 25 per cent turn-out.
The 2022 election saw Plaid Cymru triple its number of representatives at the Guildhall to nine, now reduced to eight as a result of the Smithfield seat being vacated.
The candidates for today's Smithfield by-election are:
- Richard Bennett – Independent
- Siôn Edwards – Welsh Labour
- Jayne Johnson – Independent
- Jon Jolley – Plaid Cymru
- Graham Kelly – Welsh Liberal Democrats
- Toni Prince – Independent
Results are expected between 10pm and 11pm this evening.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel