The 2006 Hamilton municipal election was held on November 13, 2006, to elect municipal officials in Hamilton, Ontario. Touted by pundits as being one of the closest mayoral races in Hamilton history, the incumbent Larry Di Ianni was defeated by a margin of 452 votes by Fred Eisenberger.
Mayoral Election
Candidates
Michael Baldasaro: Leader of the Church of the Universe and a perennial candidate for office, running for Parliament in 1984, 2000 and 2004, Ward 2 councillor in 2004 and mayor of Hamilton on numerous occasions. His campaign was centered on legalization of marijuana, but he also supported demalgimation and keeping City Hall in Jackson Square. Larry Di Ianni: Incumbent mayor of Hamilton. He was involved in a scandal involving his 2003 election campaign and was subsequently charged with violating the Municipal Elections Act. This turned many Hamiltonians against him, and was cited as one of the reasons for his defeat. Fred Eisenberger: Former Ward 5 city councillor and chairman of the Hamilton Port Authority. He unsuccessfully ran for mayor in 2000, finishing third behind Bob Wade and Bob Morrow. Diane Elms: An iridology practitioner who ran a reform campaign, centered around fiscal mismanagement and lack of voter participation.http://hamiltonviews.smfforfree.com/topic/58.0.html | Diane Elms 4 Mayor −2006 She stated that, if elected mayor, she would ask in Jesus' name, for God to forgive all those who misused their authority.http://www.raisethehammer.org/index.asp?id=401 | Candidates describe the five most important actions they would take to improve Hamilton - Raise the Hammer Steve Leach: An unknown candidate. The Hamilton Spectator poked fun at his lack of involvement in an editorial cartoon and commented, "Steve Leach is so fringe, he's out of sight."http://www.mackaycartoons.net/2006/huh2006-11-10.html | The 2006 Hamilton Mayoral Race (An Editorial), Hamilton Spectator Gino Speziale: A tool and dye maker who ran a very small campaign. At most debates, people found that he supported Elms a majority of the time.http://209.85.215.104/search?q=cache:5HwMcMDub-cJ:hwdsb.on.ca/westdale/StudentVoice.html+Gino+SPEZIALE&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1 | Mayoral Debate Comes to Westdale! Martin Zuliniak: A pseudo-joke candidate who associated himself with the Rhinoceros Party, but had a non-joke platform of lower taxes, de-amalgamation and tourism promotion.
Results
!rowspan="2" colspan="2" |Candidate !colspan="3" |Popular vote |- style="background-color:#fcfcfc;" ! Votes ! % ! ±% |- | style="background-color:#66023C;" | | style="text-align:left;" | Fred Eisenberger | style="text-align:right;" | 54,110 | style="text-align:right;" | 43.21% | style="text-align:right;" | n/a |- | style="background-color:#FF0000;" | | style="text-align:left;" | Larry Di Ianni (Incumbent) | style="text-align:right;" | 53,658 | style="text-align:right;" | 42.84% | style="text-align:right;" | −8.08% |- | style="background-color:#00008B;" | | style="text-align:left;" | Diane Elms | style="text-align:right;" | 9,459 | style="text-align:right;" | 7.55% | style="text-align:right;" | n/a |- | style="background-color:#69359C;" | | style="text-align:left;" | Michael Baldasaro | style="text-align:right;" | 4,520 | style="text-align:right;" | 3.61% | style="text-align:right;" | +1.76% |- | style="background-color:#5D8AA8;" | | style="text-align:left;" | Gino Speziale | style="text-align:right;" | 1,274 | style="text-align:right;" | 1.02 | style="text-align:right;" | n/a |- | style="background-color:#4F7942;" | | style="text-align:left;" | Steve Leach | style="text-align:right;" | 1,250 | style="text-align:right;" | 1.00 | style="text-align:right;" | n/a |- | style="background-color:#FCF75E;" | | style="text-align:left;" | Martin S. Zuliniak | style="text-align:right;" | 968 | style="text-align:right;" | 0.77 | style="text-align:right;" | n/a |- | style="text-align:right;background-color:#FFFFFF;" colspan="2" |Total votes | style="text-align:right;background-color:#FFFFFF;" |126,986 | style="text-align:right;background-color:#FFFFFF;" |100% | style="text-align:right;background-color:#FFFFFF;" |
| style="text-align:right;background-color:#FFFFFF;" colspan="2" |Registered voters | style="text-align:right;background-color:#FFFFFF;" |340,941 | style="text-align:right;background-color:#FFFFFF;" |37.25% | style="text-align:right;background-color:#FFFFFF;" |−0.72%
| style="text-align:left;" colspan="6" |Note: All Hamilton Municipal Elections are officially non-partisan. Note: Candidate campaign colours are based on the prominent colour used in campaign items (signs, literature, etc.)and are used as a visual differentiation between candidates.
| style="text-align:left;" colspan="13" |Sources: Hamilton, Ontario, City Clerk's Office
City council elections
Ward One (Chedoke-Cootes)
!rowspan="2" colspan="2" |Candidate !colspan="3" |Popular vote |- style="background-color:#fcfcfc;" ! Votes ! % ! ±% |- | style="background-color:#9b0000;" | | style="text-align:left;" | Brian McHattie (incumbent) | style="text-align:right;" | 5,068 | style="text-align:right;" | 62.88% | style="text-align:right;" | +4.94% |- | style="background-color:#0000FF;" | | style="text-align:left;" | Tony Greco | style="text-align:right;" |2,676 | style="text-align:right;" |33.20% | style="text-align:right;" | - |- | style="background-color:#8FC0A9;" | | style="text-align:left;" | Fred Spencer | style="text-align:right;" |316 | style="text-align:right;" |3.92% | style="text-align:right;" | - |- | style="text-align:right;background-color:#FFFFFF;" colspan="2" |Total votes | style="text-align:right;background-color:#FFFFFF;" |8,060 | style="text-align:right;background-color:#FFFFFF;" |100% | style="text-align:right;background-color:#FFFFFF;" |
| style="text-align:right;background-color:#FFFFFF;" colspan="2" |Registered voters | style="text-align:right;background-color:#FFFFFF;" |21,215 | style="text-align:right;background-color:#FFFFFF;" |37.99% | style="text-align:right;background-color:#FFFFFF;" |
| style="text-align:left;" colspan="6" |Note: All Hamilton Municipal Elections are officially non-partisan. Note: Candidate campaign colours are based on the prominent colour used in campaign items (signs, literature, etc.)and are used as a visual differentiation between candidates.
| style="text-align:left;" colspan="13" |Sources: Hamilton, Ontario, City Clerk's Office
Barber Tony Greco presented himself as the establishment to McHattie, and picked up support from political fixtures such as former Hamilton regional chairman Terry Cooke.Van Harten, "Ward One", (A8). Brian McHattie, incumbent councillor, focused on his environmental activism and dedication to expanding student housing through Ward One, which includes McMaster University.Van Harten, Peter. "Ward One", The Hamilton Spectator, November 14, 2006, Local News (A8). Developer Fred Spencer called the race an "eye-opener" and lamented the lack of student involvement.
Ward Two (Downtown)
!rowspan="2" colspan="2" |Candidate !colspan="3" |Popular vote |- style="background-color:#fcfcfc;" ! Votes ! % ! ±% |- | style="background-color:#3FFF00;" | | style="text-align:left;" | Bob Bratina (incumbent) | style="text-align:right;" | 4,001 | style="text-align:right;" | 66.78% | style="text-align:right;" | +30.04% Note 1 |- | style="background-color:#313D5A;" | | style="text-align:left;" | Judy MacDonald-Musitano | style="text-align:right;" |1,424 | style="text-align:right;" |23.77% | style="text-align:right;" | +17.75% Note 1 |- | style="background-color:#5E0035;" | | style="text-align:left;" | Dawn Lescaudron | style="text-align:right;" |319 | style="text-align:right;" |5.32% | style="text-align:right;" | - |- | style="background-color:#96C0B7;" | | style="text-align:left;" | Haider Shaikh | style="text-align:right;" |247 | style="text-align:right;" |4.12% | style="text-align:right;" | - |- | style="text-align:right;background-color:#FFFFFF;" colspan="2" |Total votes | style="text-align:right;background-color:#FFFFFF;" |5,991 | style="text-align:right;background-color:#FFFFFF;" |100% | style="text-align:right;background-color:#FFFFFF;" |
| style="text-align:right;background-color:#FFFFFF;" colspan="2" |Registered voters | style="text-align:right;background-color:#FFFFFF;" |19,782 | style="text-align:right;background-color:#FFFFFF;" |31.25% | style="text-align:right;background-color:#FFFFFF;" |
| style="text-align:left;" colspan="6" |Note: All Hamilton Municipal Elections are officially non-partisan. Note: Candidate campaign colours are based on the prominent colour used in campaign items (signs, literature, etc.)and are used as a visual differentiation between candidates.Note 1: Results compared to 2004 By-Election
| style="text-align:left;" colspan="13" |Sources: Hamilton, Ontario, City Clerk's Office
Bob Bratina, the incumbent councillor with only two years on council after winning a 2004 by-election, focused this campaign on transparency, increased policing and improved Via Rail service in the city.The Hamilton Spectator. "Ward Two Profile", The Hamilton Spectator, October 26, 2006, Local News (A13). Dawn Lescaudron was a first-time candidate, and did not interact with local media for the duration of the campaign.Burman, John. "Ward Two", The Hamilton Spectator, November 14, 2006, Local News (A8). Judy MacDonald-Musitano, who also ran in the 2004 by-election, held as her campaign principles the enforcement of a mandatory balanced budget, improved affordable transit and removal of parking meters in the downtown core.Spectator, "Ward Two Profile", (A13). Haider Shaikh promoted lower taxes, increased infrastructure spending and attracting new investment.
Ward Three (Hamilton Centre)
!rowspan="2" colspan="2" |Candidate !colspan="3" |Popular vote |- style="background-color:#fcfcfc;" ! Votes ! % ! ±% |- | style="background-color:#FF0000;" | | style="text-align:left;" | Bernie Morelli (incumbent) | style="text-align:right;" | 4,460 | style="text-align:right;" | 72.65% | style="text-align:right;" | +5.17% |- | style="background-color:#FCC200;" | | style="text-align:left;" | Sean Gibson | style="text-align:right;" |1,679 | style="text-align:right;" |27.35% | style="text-align:right;" | - |- | style="text-align:right;background-color:#FFFFFF;" colspan="2" |Total votes | style="text-align:right;background-color:#FFFFFF;" |6,139 | style="text-align:right;background-color:#FFFFFF;" |100% | style="text-align:right;background-color:#FFFFFF;" |
| style="text-align:right;background-color:#FFFFFF;" colspan="2" |Registered voters | style="text-align:right;background-color:#FFFFFF;" |23,913 | style="text-align:right;background-color:#FFFFFF;" |26.63% | style="text-align:right;background-color:#FFFFFF;" |
| style="text-align:left;" colspan="6" |Note: All Hamilton Municipal Elections are officially non-partisan. Note: Candidate campaign colours are based on the prominent colour used in campaign items (signs, literature, etc.)and are used as a visual differentiation between candidates.
| style="text-align:left;" colspan="13" |Sources: Hamilton, Ontario, City Clerk's Office
Sean Gibson, owner of the Barber Center, a school of hairdressing, organized youth and minorities to give them greater representation on council.Bradley and Schmidt, "Sweet 16 for Morelli", (A9) Bernie Morelli, a 16-year veteran of Hamilton, Ontario City Council, made public safety, new parks and reduced transit fees for seniors his campaign priorities.Bradley, Brian J. and Susannah Schmidt. "Sweet 16 for Morelli", The Hamilton Spectator, November 14, 2006, Local News (A9).
Ward Four (East Hamilton)
!rowspan="2" colspan="2" |Candidate !colspan="3" |Popular vote |- style="background-color:#fcfcfc;" ! Votes ! % ! ±% |- | style="background-color:#FF7F00;" | | style="text-align:left;" | Sam Merulla (incumbent) | style="text-align:right;" | 5,005 | style="text-align:right;" | 63.04% | style="text-align:right;" | +8.82 |-