Bill Mauro
# Bill Mauro

William Joseph Mauro (born c. 1956) is a Canadian politician in Ontario, Canada. He served as the 9th mayor of Thunder Bay from 2018 to 2022. He was previously a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 2003 to 2018, representing the riding of Thunder Bay—Atikokan and serving as a cabinet minister in the government of Kathleen Wynne.

## Background

Mauro was educated at Lakehead University teacher's college in Thunder Bay, and worked as a property manager for fourteen years before entering provincial politics. He served as a city councillor on the Thunder Bay City Council from 1997 to 2003, and was a member of the Thunder Bay Hydro board and the Thunder Bay Regional Hospital.

## Politics

In the provincial election of 2003, Mauro was elected as a Liberal in Thunder Bay—Atikokan. He defeated his New Democrat candidate John Rafferty by over 11,000 votes. In the 2007 election he faced Rafferty again this time by a narrow margin of 50 votes. He was easily re-elected in the 2011, and 2014 elections. In the 2018 election, he lost his seat to New Democrat Judith Monteith-Farrell by just 81 votes.

During his time in government he has served in several Parliamentary Assistant roles assisting ministers including the Minister of Northern Development and Mines (2003–2007, 2011–2013) and the Minister of Natural Resources (2007–2009). On March 25, 2014, Premier Kathleen Wynne appointed Mauro as Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. On June 24 after the election she appointed Mauro as the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry. After fellow cabinet minister Michael Gravelle temporarily stepped aside in February 2017, Mauro also took over his duties as Ministry of Northern Development and Mines on a temporary basis.

In 2004, he announced that the provincial government would be spending almost $1 million to improve Thunder Bay's transportation service. He is also known to favour a return of the spring bear hunt.

Following his defeat in the 2018 provincial election, he announced his candidacy for mayor in the 2018 municipal election. He won that election, and became mayor of the city on December 1, 2018. Mauro did not seek re-election as Mayor in the 2022 municipal elections.

### Cabinet positions

Ontario provincial government of Kathleen Wynne :

| Cabinet posts (3) |||
| - | - | - |
| Predecessor | Office | Successor |
| Ted McMeekin | Minister of Municipal Affairs 2016–2018 | Steve Clark |
| David Orazietti | Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry 2014–2016 | Kathryn McGarry |
| Linda Jeffrey | Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing 2014 (March–June) | Ted McMeekin |

## Electoral Record

### Municipal

| 2018 Thunder Bay Mayoral Election |||
| - | - | - |
| Candidate | Vote | % |
| Bill Mauro | 13,940 | 33.91 |
| Frank Pullia | 13,178 | 32.06 |
| Iain Angus | 5,816 | 14.15 |
| Shane Judge | 5,155 | 12.54 |
| Ronald Chookomolin | 895 | 2.18 |
| Mariann Sawicki | 792 | 1.93 |
| Peter Panetta | 708 | 1.72 |
| Wolfgang Schoor | 244 | 0.59 |
| Jim Gamble | 189 | 0.46 |
| Kevin Cernjul | 151 | 0.37 |
| Ed Hailio | 40 | 0.10 |

### Provincial

2018 Ontario general election: Thunder Bay—Atikokan :

| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| | New Democratic | Judith Monteith-Farrell | 11,793 | 36.26 | +8.15 |
| | Liberal | Bill Mauro | 11,712 | 36.01 | -16.97 |
| | Progressive Conservative | Brandon Postuma | 7,555 | 23.23 | +10.04 |
| | Green | John Northey | 880 | 2.71 | -0.66 |
| | Northern Ontario | David Bruno | 469 | 1.44 | +0.99 |
| | Libertarian | Dorothy Snell | 116 | 0.36 | -1.55 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 32,525 | 99.03 |
| Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots | Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots | Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots | 317 | 0.97 | +0.17 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 32,842 | 54.74 | +5.72 |
| Eligible voters | Eligible voters | Eligible voters | 59,996 |
| | New Democratic gain from Liberal | New Democratic gain from Liberal | Swing | Swing | +12.56 |
| Source: Elections Ontario |||||||

2014 Ontario general election :

| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| | Liberal | Bill Mauro | 15,176 | 52.98 | +14.01 |
| | New Democratic | Mary Kozorys | 8,052 | 28.11 | -9.20 |
| | Progressive Conservative | Harold Wilson | 3,779 | 13.19 | -8.77 |
| | Green | John Northey | 964 | 3.37 | +1.94 |
| | Libertarian | Joe Talarico | 547 | 1.91 | |
| | Northern Ontario Heritage | Ed Deibel | 129 | 0.45 | |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 28,647 | 99.20 |
| Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots | Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots | Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots | 231 | 0.80 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 28,878 | 49.02 |
| Eligible voters | Eligible voters | Eligible voters | 58,908 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | Swing | +11.56 |
| Source: Elections Ontario |||||||

2011 Ontario general election :

| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| | Liberal | Bill Mauro | 10,319 | 38.97 | +1.28 |
| | New Democratic | Mary Kozorys | 9,881 | 37.31 | -0.21 |
| | Progressive Conservative | Fred Gilbert | 5,815 | 21.96 | +1.55 |
| | Green | Jonathan Milnes | 379 | 1.43 | -2.95 |
| | Independent | Marvin Robert McMenemy | 86 | 0.32 | |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 26,480 | 100.00 |
| Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots | Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots | Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots | 98 | 0.37 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 26,578 | 46.61 |
| Eligible voters | Eligible voters | Eligible voters | 57,027 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | Swing | +0.75 |
| Source: Elections Ontario |||||||

2007 Ontario general election :

| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| | Liberal | Bill Mauro | 10,928 | 37.69 | -20.55 |
| | New Democratic | John Rafferty | 10,878 | 37.52 | +15.88 |
| | Progressive Conservative | Rebecca Johnson | 5,918 | 20.41 | +2.78 |
| | Green | Russ Aegard | 1,270 | 4.38 | +1.89 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 28,994 | 100.00 |

2003 Ontario general election :

| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| | Liberal | Bill Mauro | 17,735 | 58.25 | -5.78 |
| | New Democratic | John Rafferty | 6,582 | 21.62 | +4.86 |
| | Progressive Conservative | Brian McKinnon | 5,365 | 17.62 | -1.59 |
| | Green | Kristin Boyer | 762 | 2.5 | |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 30,444 | 100.00 |
