Conservative Mayor of Croydon Jason Perry became emotional after hearing that he had been re-elected in what was a close call for the position.
Perry, a South Croydon resident and former Tory councillor, was re-elected for the position he first obtained in 2022 in a nail-biting, tight-fought win.
While his win this time out was slightly less dramatic, it was still close, with just over a thousand votes separating him from Labour’s Rowenna Davis.
Perry told The Londoners: “I’m a Croydon boy born and bred. It’s been a long campaign and it’s been a hard campaign.
“It means a lot to me. I’m very proud to be re-elected as the first executive Mayor of Croydon.”
Perry secured a total of 35,871 votes, while Davis picked up 34,758.
Commending the other candidates, Perry explained that his team had always expected it to be a close race.
He said: “I think most of the candidates showed a real passion for Croydon and wanted to do well by it.
“Thank you to the people who voted for me, that validated me and I look forward to serving you in the years ahead.”
Despite the defeat Davis remained positive, congratulating Perry for his success.
She was particularly proud about the impact her campaign had on young people in getting them involved in the borough’s politics.
She added: “Whoever leads it, the strength of Croydon is in its people, and I am very hopeful for the future of our borough.”
As elected Mayor, Perry will be expected to provide leadership and is primarily responsible for the delivery of services and application of policy across the entire borough.
In third place for Mayor of Croydon 2026 was The Green Party’s Candidate Peter Underwood with a respectable 19,404 votes.
The Green Party has seen a significant growth in recent and Underwood’s result was met with pleasant surprise by many of those in the crowd.
Residents of Croydon now patiently await tomorrow’s count which will determine the borough’s council.
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