Theresa Kavanagh

Kavanagh's first venture into electoral politics was a run for the New Democratic Party in the 1988 Canadian federal election in the riding of Ottawa West.^[4] She finished third, behind Liberal Marlene Catterall and the incumbent, David Daubney of the Progressive Conservatives.

Kavanagh was easily elected as a trustee, representing Zone 4 (Bay Ward) to the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board in the 2010 Ottawa municipal election and was easily re-elected in 2014. When Bay Ward incumbent councillor Mark Taylor retired in 2018, Kavanagh entered the race to replace him. On election day, Kavanagh won 55% of the vote, easily beating Don Dransfield, the husband of the incumbent Liberal MP, Anita Vandenbeld.^[5]

In 2023, Kavanagh voted against the proposed "Landsdowne 2.0" project which would provide over $400 million of taxpayer-funded subsidies for the redevelopment of Lansdowne Park. The project was tentatively approved by a vote of 16 to 9.^[6][7][8]

Kavanagh has been a frequent advocate on issues related to the city's public transportation network, OC Transpo. In 2021, she supported an unsuccessful attempt to establish a judicial inquiry to investigate the failures of the O-Train system.^[9] In 2024, she voted against reductions in O-Train service that were narrowly approved by City Council by a vote of 13 to 12.^[10]

During her terms as councillor, Kavanagh has often advocated for women's issues and the participation of women in politics.^[11][12] In 2023, Kavanagh and Ariel Troster successfully campaigned to dub the section of Metcalfe Street in front of the Iranian embassy in honour of Mahsa Ahmini.^[13][14]

Kavanagh has been a leading opponent of the proposed development of a neighbourhood, known as Tewin, on greenfield land located in Ottawa's rural southeast. She argued that the development would contribute to urban sprawl and be a "burden on taxpayers".^[15] Other critics of the Tewin development have cited deforestation, and the cost of building new infrastructure for the area.^[16][17][18]