Ald. Linda Fox-Mellway was on her way to losing the Ward 14 council seat in an electoral drubbing by challenger Peter Demong, who had almost twice the number of votes as ballot counting ran on into Tuesday morning after Calgary's Oct. 18 municipal vote.

Demong, a business owner and board member of the Progressive Group for Independent Business, ran on a platform of fiscal conservatism and cutting red tape for entrepreneurs.

Farrell threatened

Ward 7 Ald. Druh Farrell was in a tight race to hold on to her council seat as the votes were still being counted early Tuesday.

She was locked in dead heat with business entrepreneur Kevin Taylor, with each candidate having about 40 per cent of the votes.

Farrell was the driving force behind the controversial Bow River Flow, an annual summer event that shuts part of Memorial Drive N.W. to celebrate "human-powered transportation".

The inner city district hugs the northern bank of the Bow River, with a westward finger stretching up Crowchild Trail to Sarcee Trail and back down John Laurie Boulevard.

Ward 11 contest tight

In another race too close to call, James Maxim was threatening to unseat incumbent Ald. Brian Pincott in Ward 11 in the city's southwest.

Maxim, who has worked three decades in the public and private sectors as a land man and business consultant, campaigned on themes transparency, ethics and better corporate governance.

Vacancies filled

Four rookie aldermen have won seats on Calgary's city council, filling vacancies left by three failed mayoral candidates and one retiring councilor.

Gael MacLeod, a banking and finance professional and executive director of the Alberta Real Estate Foundation, was leading in a tight race for the vacant seat for Ward 4.

MacLeod was ahead of her nearest rival, Sean Chu, by a margin of 25 per cent to 20 per cent at 1:45 a.m. on Tuesday with 31 of 37 polling stations reporting.

The area was left without an incumbent when Ald. Bob Hawkesworth said in May he was running for mayor.

The northwest ward, which includes Nose Hill Park, is bound by Deerfoot Trail and Beddington Trail in the east, and John Laurie Boulevard and Country Hills Boulevard on the other side.

Businessman Richard Pootmans had a sizeable lead in the race Ward 6 in Tuesday's early hours.

The ward is in the city's southwest, extending from Sarcee Trail and 37th Street S.W. south and west to the city limit.

It was represented by Ald. Joe Connelly, who threw his hat into the mayoral ring in April.

Ward 9 too close to call

Gian-Carlo Carra, an urban planner and civic activist, was in a close race for Ward 9 on the city's east side, leading the eight contenders by 31 per cent.

Canadian Forces veteran Mike Pal trailed by only two percentage points early Tuesday with 34 of 43 polling stations reporting.

The seat, which stretches from Barlow Trail S.E. up to 32 Avenue N.E., east to the city's edge and west to Macleod Trail and Edmonton Trail N.E.

Joe Ceci, who represented the area for five terms, did not put his name up for re-election.

Ward 12 leaning to ex-school teacher

In the city's far southeast, Ward 12 - which was left vacant by mayoral hopeful Ric McIver - was leaning by a wide margin to Shane Keating, a former school principal.

With 24 out of 33 stations tallied, Keating had 43 per cent of the votes, with his nearest rival, Al Browne, sitting at 31 per cent.

Mar holding Ward 8

In the southwest inner city Ward 8, incumbent Ald. John Mar seemed to have held off a formidable challenge for his council seat from Zak Pashak, a bar owner and organizer of the Sled Island Music and Arts Festival.