---
title: "Joanne Chianello wins Kitchissippi Ward in first bid for council"
description: "Former CBC and Ottawa Citizen journalist Joanne Chianello won the open Kitchissippi Ward seat on October 26, defeating three challengers including Brian Innes, Subhir Uppal, and Xavier Commerford."
canonical_url: "https://voche.me/on/ottawa-2026/news/chianello-kitchissippi-wins-2026-10-27"
last_updated: "2026-10-28T17:57:30.185Z"
---

Former CBC and Ottawa Citizen journalist [Joanne Chianello](/on/ottawa-2026/candidates/joanne-chianello) won the Kitchissippi Ward council seat on October 26, defeating three challengers in a race with no incumbent, the Ottawa Citizen reported on Tuesday.

Chianello defeated [Brian Innes](/on/ottawa-2026/candidates/brian-innes), a former Hintonburg community association president; [Subhir Uppal](/on/ottawa-2026/candidates/subhir-uppal), a tech entrepreneur and ethics instructor; and [Xavier Commerford](/on/ottawa-2026/candidates/xavier-commerford), a former entrepreneur and community activist. The Ottawa Citizen did not publish vote totals.

## Why the seat was open

Former councillor Jeff Leiper left the Kitchissippi seat to run for mayor in 2026. Leiper finished second in the mayoral race behind incumbent Mark Sutcliffe. His departure left all four candidates competing for an open seat.

## How Chianello ran

The Ottawa Citizen reported that Chianello ran her campaign for about one year, working with about 100 volunteers. Her team conducted 260 canvasses and held 10,000 conversations with residents. She received endorsements from Leiper, federal Liberal MP Yasir Naqvi, and Ontario NDP MPP Catherine McKenney.

"I'm just over the moon that the people of Kitchissippi would put this trust in me," Chianello told supporters after her win.

## Her background

Chianello spent years as a journalist at CBC Ottawa and the Ottawa Citizen, where she covered city hall and municipal politics. The Ottawa Citizen described her work watching council from the press gallery as relevant preparation for the role she now holds. She was running for elected office for the first time.

## A growing ward

The Ottawa Citizen noted that Kitchissippi Ward gained about 5,000 new voters since the 2022 election, reflecting population growth in the area. The ward covers Kitchissippi, Hintonburg, and neighbouring parts of Ottawa's west end. It is one of 24 wards across Ottawa, each electing one councillor to serve a four-year term.

Chianello's candidate profile is at [/on/ottawa-2026/candidates/joanne-chianello](/on/ottawa-2026/candidates/joanne-chianello). The [Kitchissippi Ward page](/on/ottawa-2026/races/councillor/ward-15-kitchissippi) lists all four candidates who ran in 2026.

## Sitemap

See the full [sitemap](/on/ottawa-2026/sitemap.md) for all pages.