Labour candidate Bev Craig has been elected as the new mayor of Greater Manchester, securing a two-thirds majority over Reform UK's Sian Astley. The final count showed Craig with 309,525 votes (66.3%) compared to Astley's 157,178 votes (33.7%) following a second round of counting.
Craig, who previously served as deputy mayor with a focus on the economy, business, and inclusive growth, expressed her honor and readiness to serve the region's three million residents. She emphasized a commitment to inclusive leadership and building a city where all individuals feel welcome and have opportunities to succeed, aiming to move away from divisive politics.
This special election was triggered by the resignation of the former mayor, Andy Burnham, who stepped down earlier this year. The contest involved over two million voters, making it the largest by-election in UK history. The cost of the election is estimated to be in the millions, following the £4.7 million spent on the 2024 mayoral election won by Burnham.
For this by-election, the voting system reverted to the supplementary vote (SV) method, which was used in the 2017 and 2021 mayoral elections. This system led to a second round of counting as no candidate secured more than 50% of the first-choice votes in the initial tally. In contrast, Burnham had won the 2021 mayoral race in the first round under the SV system with 67% of first preference votes.
Craig, who moved to Greater Manchester at age 18, is also noted as the city's first female council leader and its first LGBT leader. She assumed leadership of Manchester City Council in December 2021.