🔎 The race
Hamilton elects its mayor and fifteen ward councillors on Monday, October 26, 2026 — one mayor at large and one councillor for each of the city's fifteen wards — under the Ontario Municipal Elections Act. AMO — 2026 Municipal Elections, City of Hamilton; Wikipedia — 2026 Hamilton, Ontario, municipal election. Ontario's ninth-largest city had a 2021 Statistics Canada census population of 569,353 (Wikipedia — Hamilton, Ontario) and an official 2026 elector count of 468,829 on the AMO election portal (AMO).
The nomination period ran May 1 – August 21, 2026, and candidates were certified by the City Clerk on Aug 24, 2026 (City of Hamilton — Candidates & Third-Party Advertisers). Thirteen candidates are on the mayor's ballot, with incumbent Andrea Horwath facing a crowded field — the deepest mayoral bench the city has run in years (CBC Hamilton — mayoral candidate questionnaire; The Hamilton Spectator — 140 candidates set for Oct. 26) — and the 2022 finalists meet again (City of Hamilton; CHCH — all-candidate roundup).
Correction to early chatter: speculation circulated this spring that the mayor's chair would be open because Andrea Horwath would not run again. That did not happen — Horwath registered on August 14, 2026 as the incumbent candidate, the twelfth of thirteen to file (CBC Hamilton — Andrea Horwath officially enters Hamilton's mayoral race). She appears on the official certified list as incumbent mayor (AMO), and Hamilton has no mayoral term limits in force — a 2024 attempt to review them failed on council (Wikipedia). The race is not open; it is contested, with two prominent candidates declining: former mayor Bob Bratina and MP Chad Collins both passed (Wikipedia).
The defining feature of the 2026 race is depth: thirteen certified candidates, a rematch of the 2022 Horwath–Loomis finale (decided by 1,663 votes, CHCH), and a sitting councillor, Rob Cooper, who arrived with a City Hall record to defend and attack. The Hamilton Spectator reported roughly 140 candidates in total across all races this year and treated the mayor's race as a three-way contest among Horwath, Loomis and Cooper — the three treated as having real paths to the job (The Hamilton Spectator). No published mayoral opinion poll appears in the validated sources for this page, so the race is described from debates, filings and coverage rather than polling.
2022 context: Andrea Horwath won the 2022 mayoral race in a photo finish over Keanin Loomis — by 1,663 votes — with former mayor Bob Bratina a distant third (about 1.2 points separated Horwath and Loomis; Bratina took 12.3%) (CHCH; Wikipedia). Four years on, the top two are running at each other again. Turnout in 2022 was 35.4%: 143,375 of 405,288 eligible voters cast a ballot (AMO — 2022 Municipal Elections, City of Hamilton).
⚡ Key issues
Housing & homelessness
The Hamilton is Home coalition of non-profit housing providers has a goal of 5,000 affordable units by 2030; Loomis pledged to match that number “in my first term,” while Horwath says the city and partners have built or committed 2,100 units since 2024 — “forty times more than the last term of council.” Horwath's strong-mayor override for two Stoney Creek affordable towers — against local residents' petitions — became a running debate theme. (CHCH — candidates offer split visions on increasing housing supply)
Property taxes & spending
Households faced a 3.87% tax increase in 2026 and a forecast 8.2% hike for 2027, which Horwath has promised to cut down (CHCH — candidates clash over housing, taxes, safety in first debate). Cooper's central promise is capping increases at inflation for four years; Loomis pushed zero-based budgeting but refused to name a target rate — Cooper's line at the Cable 14 debate was “if Keanin can't give you a tax rate… hang on for what you're about to experience.” (The Hamilton Independent — chaotic 12-candidate debate)
Downtown safety
Cooper called downtown “a very dangerous, unsafe place” and made crime prevention his wedge issue; Loomis ran on “the fundamentals of a downtown which is safe,” with welcoming public spaces and stronger business investment (CHCH first debate); Horwath pointed to visible patrols and the TD Coliseum build-out as proof of change (TPR Hamilton — full debate transcript).
Rapid transit & infrastructure
The light-rail line dominates infrastructure talk: Horwath credits herself with finally getting it moving after years of failed attempts, while Cooper quipped, “we've been 18 years debating an LRT. We're going to do another two more.” (TPR Hamilton transcript)
AI data centres, jobs & tariffs
A proposed AI research data centre on the city's Steelport lands split the candidates: provincial and federal governments were “actively marketing our Steelport lands, and we are not at the table,” Loomis said, invoking the “at the table or on the menu” line (TPR Hamilton transcript). Horwath framed U.S. tariffs — “Trump and his tariffs are before us yet again” — as demanding immediate municipal action, and accused rivals of being slow to respond (CHCH first debate); Cooper argued the city “should have met the moment” and been ready (The Hamilton Independent)
- A note on the numbers: the AMO official 2022 archive entry for Hamilton's mayor's race has been flagged as unreliable by source-integrity checks (winner recorded incorrectly), so this analysis deliberately does not reprint mayoral vote counts from that archive (AMO 2022 results archive). The margin figures cited here come instead from CHCH News and Wikipedia's coverage. The archive's councillor results cross-check cleanly and are published as certified.
- 2022 ward results — who held, and who's gone (winner, votes, where they stand in 2026): Ward 1 Chedoke-Cootes — Maureen Wilson, 6,610, running again as incumbent; Ward 2 Downtown — Cameron Kroetsch, 3,619, running again as incumbent; Ward 3 Hamilton Centre — Nrinder Nann, 4,334, running again as incumbent; Ward 4 Hamilton East — Tammy Hwang, 2,101, running again as incumbent; Ward 5 Red Hill — Matt Francis, 4,239, sitting councillor whose certified 2026 entry notes a different office; Ward 6 East Mountain — Tom Jackson, 6,326, running again as incumbent; Ward 7 Central Mountain — Esther Pauls, 6,043, running again as incumbent, on council since 2018; Ward 8 West/Central Mountain — John-Paul Danko, 5,274, seat changed hands in a 2025 by-election won by Rob Cooper (19.6%), who is now running for mayor; Ward 9 Upper Stoney Creek — Brad Clark, 3,622, running again as incumbent; Ward 10 Lower Stoney Creek — Jeff Beattie, 4,236, incumbent who withdrew from the 2026 municipal race in late July after announcing a run for the PC provincial nomination; Ward 11 Glanbrook — Mark Tadeson, 2,829, running again as incumbent; Ward 12 Ancaster — Craig Cassar, 4,960, running again as incumbent since 2022; Ward 13 Dundas — Alex Wilson, 7,038, open seat — elected 2022, not seeking re-election; Ward 14 West Mountain — Mike Spadafora, 2,610, running again as incumbent; Ward 15 Flamborough — Ted McMeekin, 3,091, running again as incumbent.
- Source of the ward table: winner names and 2022 vote counts are from the certified 2022 archive (councillor races), citing the official AMO results (AMO 2022 archive); 2026 status is from the certified 2026 candidate list (AMO 2026 list) and CHCH's ward-by-ward rundown (CHCH); turnout in 2022: 143,375 ballots from 405,288 eligible voters — 35.4%.
- What's not here: this analysis covers the mayor's race and 2022 context. Ward-by-ward 2026 candidate lists (76 certified ward candidates) are on the official AMO portal (AMO 2026 portal); school-board trustee races are not covered here. No published opinion poll in validated sources is reported.
- Compiled October 15, 2026 from the certified AMO candidate list, the City of Hamilton's election pages, and Hamilton news coverage (CBC Hamilton, CHCH News, The Hamilton Spectator, TPR Hamilton, The Hamilton Independent, Hamilton Chamber of Commerce). Facts are current at compilation and may change before election day — confirm at hamilton.ca and the AMO portal. Unofficial voter-information page; not endorsed by the City of Hamilton.
- Sources (all URLs validated Oct 15, 2026, HTTP 2xx and non-empty): AMO — 2026 Municipal Elections, City of Hamilton (certified candidate list); AMO — 2022 Municipal Elections, City of Hamilton (official 2022 results); Wikipedia — 2026 Hamilton, Ontario, municipal election; CHCH — Everything you need to know about Hamilton's 2026 municipal election; CBC Hamilton — Who's running for mayor in Hamilton? Get to know the candidates; CBC Hamilton — Andrea Horwath officially enters Hamilton's mayoral race (Aug 14, 2026); CBC Hamilton — Cherkewski, Harrison and Janus among last-minute additions at nomination deadline; The Hamilton Spectator — Hamilton 2026 election: 140 candidates set for Oct. 26 (three-way race); CHCH — Hamilton mayoral candidates clash over housing, taxes, safety in first debate (Sept 22, 2026); Hamilton Chamber of Commerce — Mayoral Debate: 2026 Municipal Election; TPR Hamilton — HamiltonVotes 2026: Full transcript of the first mayoral debate (Cooper, Loomis, Horwath); The Hamilton Independent — Candidates discuss property taxes, waste and policing in chaotic 12-candidate debate; CBC Hamilton — Hamilton's mayoral candidates get heated over spending, hate, abortion and more; CHCH — Hamilton mayoral race ramps up in final televised debate (Cable 14, posted Oct 9, 2026); CHCH — Hamilton's mayoral candidates offer split visions on increasing housing supply; CBC Hamilton — Here's where to find candidate debates in Hamilton this election; City of Hamilton — Candidates & Third-Party Advertisers (important 2026 dates); The Hamilton Spectator — Hamilton mayoral candidate: Kevin Walker (Sept 10, 2026); ONAC — Kevin Walker, candidate for Mayor of Hamilton; Wikipedia — Hamilton, Ontario (2021 census population). Campaign statements are candidates' own claims; this analysis does not verify or endorse them.
| Andrea Horwath Incumbent Elected 2022 · Mayor (41.7%) | 🔎 Incumbent. Mayor since 2022 · Leader of the Ontario NDP 2009–2022 · Leader of the Official Opposition 2018–2022 · first elected to Hamilton city council in 1997. Won the 2022 race by just 1,663 votes over Keanin Loomis and entered this race on Aug 14, 2026. Record-first campaign: touts light rail “finally” getting under way after decades of delays, and the TD Coliseum revitalization as a “$300 million investment… I cut the red tape to unstick that project” (TPR Hamilton debate transcript). Taxes: promises to pull down the projected 2027 tax hike (forecast at 8.2% after 3.87% in 2026) and frames federal tariffs as the test the city needs “immediate action” to meet (CHCH first debate). Housing: defends using strong-mayor powers to push two affordable towers in Stoney Creek and says the city and partners have built or committed 2,100 units since 2024 (CHCH housing debate). |
| David Harrison | 🔎 Challenger. Firefighter, former Canadian Armed Forces reservist and non-profit founder (CHCH all-candidate roundup); filed at the deadline and had almost nothing online when he did (CBC Hamilton — registration deadline). Campaign centred on fiscal responsibility, lower pressure on property taxes, better roads and traffic flow, practical answers on homelessness and mental health, public safety and transparency at City Hall. Wants residents to “see the reasoning, numbers and evidence behind major decisions… focus on fixing problems rather than defending bureaucracy or political optics.” |
| David Mark Cherkewski | 🔎 Challenger. Anti-poverty advocate; one of the last-minute additions at the Aug 21, 2026 nomination deadline (CBC Hamilton — registration deadline). A recipient of Ontario's basic income pilot, according to CBC's coverage of his registration; no broader published platform was found in validated sources. |
| Ejaz Butt Ran 2022 · Mayor (1.3%) | 🔎 Challenger. Longtime Hamilton cab driver and taxi-industry figure; an immigrant from Pakistan; a veteran of previous municipal elections, including a 2022 run for mayor (CHCH all-candidate roundup; CBC Hamilton candidate questionnaire). In 2022 Butt campaigned with a focus on youth; his 2026 campaign published little platform detail in the sources validated for this page. |
| Erin Janus | 🔎 Challenger. Describes herself as a civic activist, creative director, artist and environmentalist (CHCH all-candidate roundup); also a musician and YouTuber known for animal-rights and vegan videos (CBC Hamilton — registration deadline). Platform focuses on revitalizing the downtown core, resolving the open drug use and homelessness crisis, public safety, road infrastructure and lower taxes. Registered in the final stretch of the nomination window. |
| Keanin Loomis Ran 2022 · Mayor (40.5%) | 🔎 Challenger; 2022 runner-up. Lost the 2022 mayor's race by fewer than 2,000 votes — the closest mayor's race in Hamilton's modern history — and is running a second time; CHCH describes him as “the father of three and business leader.” “SMART plan”: safer neighbourhoods, getting Hamilton moving, accountability at City Hall, responsive government, and “making every tax dollar count” (The Hamilton Independent). Money: would move to zero-based budgeting and review every dollar — but declined under pressure from Cooper to commit to a specific tax rate. Housing: at the Oct 6, 2026 Hamilton is Home debate pledged “to deliver up to 5,000 affordable units in my first term” (CHCH housing debate). Priorities he repeats on the trail: fixing roads, value for taxes, growing the economy and housing. |
| Kevin Walker | 🔎 Challenger. Life-long Hamilton resident who says he comes to the race with First Nations roots (CHCH all-candidate roundup); identifies as Ojibwe and a member of the Bear Clan (ONAC — Kevin Walker positions profile); active in homelessness outreach work (The Hamilton Spectator — Kevin Walker). Stated priorities: tackling homelessness, the rising cost of living and job loss. |
| Nathalie Xian Yi Yan | 🔎 Perennial candidate. Founder of the Hamilton Traditional Chinese Medical Health Science Centre; has previously run in municipal elections (CHCH all-candidate roundup). The first to file in this race, declaring on May 27, 2026 (Wikipedia). No detailed published platform was found in validated sources. |
| Pamela Mitchell Ran 2022 · Councillor, Ward 12 | 🔎 Perennial candidate. 64-year-old Ancaster native and writer who has previously run for council in Dundas and Ancaster (CHCH all-candidate roundup); contested the Ward 12 council race in 2022 (AMO 2022 results archive). Limited published platform material was found in the validated sources for this page. |
| Paul Fromm Ran 2022 · Mayor (0.6%) | 🔎 Perennial candidate. Described by CHCH as “a known white supremacist and former high school teacher” with links to far-right organizations dating to the 1970s; dismissed by the Peel District School Board in 1993 (CHCH all-candidate roundup). Has run in several previous Hamilton elections, including for mayor. At the Cable 14 debate other candidates staged a show of hands agreeing “his hatefulness… would indicate that he should not be here” (CHCH final televised debate). |
| Rob Cooper Serving council — different office | 🔎 Challenger; Ward 8 councillor since winning the Sept 2025 by-election with 19.6% of the vote (Wikipedia), with a 13-year career as a chartered professional accountant, including time at Manulife, McMaster University and the WSIB. His mayoral bid opened the Ward 8 seat for the October election. Runs on making Hamilton “the economic engine of Canada.” Taxes: central promise to cap property tax increases at the rate of inflation for four years (The Hamilton Independent). Safety: “I've said it's a very dangerous, unsafe place… If you can't call it out, you can't fix it,” arguing for crime prevention and police resources (CHCH first debate). Scrutiny: a Campaign Life Coalition survey showing he is anti-abortion and would oppose clinic “bubble zones” followed him through the Cable 14 debate (CHCH final televised debate). |
| Sasha Austin | 🔎 Challenger. From the city's North End; announced her candidacy via Instagram on April 5, 2026 (CHCH all-candidate roundup). Campaign priorities: open drug use, homelessness and property taxes. No detailed published platform found in the validated sources for this page. |
| Scarlett Gillespie | 🔎 Challenger. Also known as Jelena Vermilion; executive director of the Sex Workers' Action Program (SWAP) Hamilton (CHCH all-candidate roundup). Platform per her own campaign: housing, tenant protections, climate justice, community-led safety initiatives, strengthening local arts, and City Hall accountability, accessibility and transparency. At the Hamilton is Home housing debate she said she is the only candidate who has personally experienced homelessness, and applauded Horwath's use of strong-mayor powers on housing (CHCH housing debate). |
| Mark Powell | 🔎 |
| Maureen Wilson Incumbent Elected 2022 · Councillor, Ward 1 | 🔎 |
| Nathan Savelli | 🔎 |
| Raymond R. Pacquette | 🔎 |
| Bernard Tompkins | 🔎 |
| Bill Houston | 🔎 |
| Brian Lewis Ran 2022 · Councillor, Ward 14 | 🔎 |
| Cameron Kroetsch Incumbent Elected 2022 · Councillor, Ward 2 | 🔎 |
| Daniel Greene | 🔎 |
| Eisham Abdulkarim | 🔎 |
| Kelly Oucharek | 🔎 |
| Rodney Elesie | 🔎 |
| Tony Sciara | 🔎 |
| Andrew Selman | 🔎 |
| Christine Cayuga | 🔎 |
| Christopher DeMelo | 🔎 |
| Graham Schreiber | 🔎 |
| Kristeen Sprague | 🔎 |
| Nrinder Nann Incumbent Elected 2022 · Councillor, Ward 3 | 🔎 |
| Wade Campbell | 🔎 |
| Jason Farr Ran 2022 · Councillor, Ward 2 | 🔎 |
| Jemma Lambert | 🔎 |
| Tammy Hwang Incumbent Elected 2022 · Councillor, Ward 4 | 🔎 |
| Tobin Tuff | 🔎 |
| Todd Anderson | 🔎 |
| Tony Mamone | 🔎 |
| Ahmad Khan | 🔎 |
| Juanita Maldonado | 🔎 |
| Matt Francis Serving council — different office Elected 2022 · Councillor, Ward 5 | 🔎 |
| Melissa Debicki | 🔎 |
| Peter Werhun | 🔎 |
| Tom Jackson Incumbent Elected 2022 · Councillor, Ward 6 | 🔎 |
| Esther Pauls Incumbent Elected 2022 · Councillor, Ward 7 | 🔎 |
| Gordon Leslie | 🔎 |
| Heather Beale | 🔎 |
| Mark Daly | 🔎 |
| Adlan Taramov | 🔎 |
| Dawn Danko | 🔎 |
| Jacob Tenbrinke | 🔎 |
| Jonathan Morris | 🔎 |
| Nenos Damerchie | 🔎 |
| Pat Piro | 🔎 |
| Terry Whitehead | 🔎 |
| Abhijeet Gill | 🔎 |
| Brad Clark Incumbent Elected 2022 · Councillor, Ward 9 | 🔎 |
| Brad Stapleton | 🔎 |
| Eileen Walker | 🔎 |
| Jonathan Stathakos | 🔎 |
| Akash Grewal | 🔎 |
| Cal DiFalco | 🔎 |
| Eugene Farago | 🔎 |
| Ivan Luksic | 🔎 |
| Larry Paletta | 🔎 |
| Michael T. Loomans | 🔎 |
| Nicole Trombetta | 🔎 |
| Olivia Fung | 🔎 |
| Sam Gamble | 🔎 |
| Tanjoban Nijjar | 🔎 |
| Vince Rigitano | 🔎 |
| Aaron Post | 🔎 |
| Damon Mombourquette | 🔎 |
| Mark Tadeson Incumbent Elected 2022 · Councillor, Ward 11 | 🔎 |
| Craig Cassar Incumbent Elected 2022 · Councillor, Ward 12 | 🔎 |
| Fred Bennink | 🔎 |
| Gary Aikema | 🔎 |
| Loren Lieberman | 🔎 |
| Rick Kunc | 🔎 |
| Spencer Naylor | 🔎 |
| Kojo Damptey Ran 2022 · Councillor, Ward 14 | 🔎 |
| Mike Spadafora Incumbent Elected 2022 · Councillor, Ward 14 | 🔎 |
| Chase Alford | 🔎 |
| Colleen Stewart | 🔎 |
| Jeff Yaeger | 🔎 |
| Mary Kovacs | 🔎 |
| Ted McMeekin Incumbent Elected 2022 · Councillor, Ward 15 | 🔎 |
| Zac Wrobel | 🔎 |
🎙 Debates & forums
Three recorded events covered the mayor's race in the final weeks — a Chamber debate for the top three, a housing forum, and a chaotic all-candidates televised debate. Hamilton Chamber of Commerce debate (Sept 22, 2026): only three of the thirteen candidates — Horwath, Loomis and Cooper — took the stage at the Chamber's mayor's debate, hosted at the Carmen's Event Centre with Steve Paikin moderating; topics were affordable housing, a safer downtown, a heated exchange on property taxes, and the AI data-centre proposal, with a full transcript published by TPR Hamilton. Hamilton is Home housing debate (Oct 6, 2026): hosted by the coalition of non-profit housing providers whose stated goal is 5,000 affordable units by 2030 — one of several all-candidate forums on the city's debate calendar alongside Cable 14's televised events; Loomis announced his “up to 5,000 affordable units in my first term” commitment there, Gillespie said she is the only candidate with lived experience of homelessness, and Horwath touted 2,100 units built or committed since 2024. Cable 14 all-candidates debate (Oct 8, 2026): “Twelve candidates vying for Hamilton's top seat made for a chaotic and loud debate at Cable 14” — thirteen were running, one did not attend — the final televised debate of the campaign; Horwath took shots at rivals as the “Hatchet Man” offering “yesterday's politics” and the “Nowhere Man” offering “no direction”; candidates made clear Fromm was not wanted, staging a show of hands on his “spreading of hate,” and Cooper was dogged by his anti-abortion survey response; CBC's recap noted candidates got heated over spending, hate speech and abortion, with the field's hostility and Cooper–Loomis exchanges on the tax rate.
🗞 On the radar — local coverage
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- Hamilton votes: Who is running for mayor in the 2026 municipal election?
- CANDIDATE SURVEY: HAMILTON MUNICIPAL ELECTION 2026
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- Who's running for mayor in Hamilton? Get to know the candidates and the issues they say they'll tackle
- Everything you need to know about Hamilton’s 2026 municipal election
- PC Jeff Beattie wins Hamilton East—Stoney Creek byelection