Darryn Lyons is the front runner to be Geelong Mayor. Source: News Corp Australia
Signage on Darryn Lyons property for his mayoral campaign. Source: News Corp Australia
FORMER paparazzi boss and nightclub owner Darryn Lyons has won the race to be the new mayor of Geelong.
It has been reported that the Victorian Electoral Commission confirmed Mr Lyons the victor this morning.
More to come
As of 5pm last night, the VEC showed Mr Lyons with 29.8 per cent of the primary votes.
Stephanie Asher was in second place with 14.7 per cent of the primary votes, closely followed by former-mayor Ken Jarvis on 12.1 per cent.
The VEC told the Geelong Advertiser preferences would be distributed on Monday morning, meaning no winner was officially announced last night.
Mr Lyons said last night he was optimistic about his chances but it was too early to declare victory.
"It's a kind of nervous excitement at the moment,'' he said from his Rippleside home.
"I'm just sitting here at home watching the cricket and fielding lots of calls from friends and media over the world.''
Mr Lyons said it was clear from the early results that people had voted for change.
"The old guard is on its way out,'' he said.
Among those to make contact with the election leader via social media today were cricket great Shane Warne, British pop star Brian McFadden and UK media personality Piers Morgan.
Mr Lyons said he'd be using such celebrity contacts to help build Geelong's profile.
"These are the kind of things I'll be doing. It won't be my first priority, but I will definitely be using my celebrity contacts for the good of Geelong,'' he said.
"If we can get Shane Warne and (his fiancee) Liz Hurley to rock into town for an event, that can only be good for Geelong.''
Lyons said his scrutineers had told him his primary vote might have been even bigger, if not for a number of invalid votes.
"I've been told there were a lot of papers coming in with a one next to my name and none of the other boxes filled out. Unfortunately, that means those votes don't count.''
PRIMARY VOTE COUNT AS AT 5PM
Darryn Lyons 29.8
Stephanie Asher 14.7
Ken Jarvis 12.1
John Mitchell 6.9
Anthony Aitken 5.5
Lily Stefanovic 5.4
Rodger Marsden 4.0
John Irvine 3.6
Doug Mann 3.4
Angelo Kakouros 3.3
Stephen Yewdall 3.1
Greg Lacey 2.5
Margrette Lewis 1.9
Tom O'Connor 1.8
John Smith 1.2
Greg Jones 1.0
