2026 Hamilton, Ontario municipal election

The 2026 Hamilton municipal election will occur on October 26, 2026, as per the Ontario Municipal Elections Act, 1996. This will be the 136th municipal election in the history of Hamilton and the 8th election since Hamilton's amalgamation in 2001.

Residents of Hamilton will elect one mayor and members of the Hamilton City Council using a first-past-the-post electoral system in single-member constituencies, called wards.

Based on their electoral registration, voters are also eligible to elect one of 11 Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board trustees, nine Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board trustees, one Conseil scolaire Viamonde trustee, or one Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir trustee. The status of school trustee elections was uncertain until roughly three weeks before the start of the nomination period, with the provincial government threatening to reducing the number of trustees or abolishing the office of school trustee altogether. Legislation tabled on 13 April 2026 confirmed the continued direct election of school trustees.

Mayoral election In 2022, former Ontario NDP leader Andrea Horwath won a narrow victory over Keanin Loomis, the past president of the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce. Horwath won with 1.2 percent over Loomis while former mayor Bob Bratina fell far behind with just 12.3 percent of the vote. After taking office, Horwath maintained a more "cautious" approach to governing, often voting with councillors across the political spectrum.

Criticism of Horwath's leadership and management of the city's infrastructure, issues with homelessness, and stalled economic growth started early in her tenure and led to speculation about her electoral future and possible opposing candidates in the 2026 election. The first major candidate to announce a bid to oppose Horwath was Scarlett Gillespie, a community organizer, affordable housing activist, and executive director of the Sex Workers' Action Program (SWAP) Hamilton. Gillespie, also known by her alias Jelena Vermilion, identifies as a transgender woman. While accepting an award from the Hamilton YWCA in 2024 for her advocacy work, Gillespie made comments criticizing police violence that resulted in a volunteer committee of Hamilton Police Service members pulling back from fundraising for the local YWCA.

Gillespie initially announced her candidacy for mayor in July 2025, and reaffirmed her decision to run for mayor in March 2026, confirming that she would run using her legal, rather than performance, name. Her platform includes a prioritization of "housing, tenant protections, climate justice, transparency at city hall, community-led initiatives and strengthening the arts sector".

In the 2025 Canadian federal election, Ward 8 Councillor John-Paul Danko was elected Member of Parliament for the riding of Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas. Hamilton City Council opted to hold a by-election for Danko's vacant seat in September of 2025. The by-election was won by Rob Cooper, a chartered professional accountant and veteran organizer with the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario and Conservative Party of Canada. Cooper and Horwath clashed frequently on council, particularly around the municipal budget which, after the introduction of strong mayor powers in Ontario, became the responsibility of the mayor's office. Cooper's decision to run for mayor stems from his frustration around the municipal budget and the lack of power granted individual councillors to impact budget decisions.

Candidates Candidate Experience Announced Registered Indigenous Patient Navigator at De Dwa da Dehs-Nyes Indigenous Health CentreWebsiteFormer Major in the Pakistan Armed ForcesFounding President of the Ontario Taxi Workers UnionAnti-poverty activistWard 8 City Councillor (2025–present), Chartered Professional Accountant, Former organizer with the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario and Conservative Party of Canada, Senior Strategy Executive (2020-2025), Vice President Strategy at Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (2017-2020), Chief Internal Auditor at McMaster University (2010-2014)WebsiteNeo-Nazi, Holocaust-denier, white-supremacist, and perennial candidateExecutive director of the Sex Workers' Action Program (SWAP) HamiltonWebsiteMayor of Hamilton (2022–present)Leader of the Ontario New Democratic Party (2009–2022)MPP for Hamilton Centre (2004–2022)Ward 2 Councillor (1997–2004)WebsiteAnimal rights activistKeanin LoomisRunner-up, 2022 mayoral electionPresident & CEO of the Canadian Institute of Steel Construction (2024–2026) Vice President, Member Services at the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (2023-2024)President & CEO of the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce (2013–2022)WebsiteCandidate for Ward 13 - Dundas councillor (2014 and 2018)Candidate for Ward 12 - Ancaster councillor (2022)Outreach worker with Gateway/Parkview MinistriesPerennial candidateTraditional Chinese medicine practitioner

Mayoral Endorsements

Declined or ineligible Bob Bratina - mayor of Hamilton from 2010–2014, Liberal member of Parliament for Hamilton East—Stoney Creek from 2015–2021 Chad Collins - Liberal member of Parliament for Hamilton East—Stoney Creek from 2021–2025, Ward 5 councillor from 1997–2021 Peter Dyakowski - local landlord, offensive lineman for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (2007–2016), 2019 Conservative Party of Canada candidate for MP on Hamilton Mountain Vito Sgro - 2018 candidate for mayor, 2021 Liberal Party of Canada candidate for MP in Flamborough—Glanbrook Mike Spadafora - Ward 14 councillor from 2022–present, 2018 Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario candidate for MPP on Hamilton Mountain (running for re-election in Ward 14) Monique Taylor - member of Provincial Parliament for Hamilton Mountain from 2011–2025 (ran for MPP in Hamilton East—Stoney Creek)

Opinion polls Polling firm Last dateof polling Link Chad Collins Rob Cooper Scarlett Gillespie Andrea Horwath Keanin Loomis Other Undecided Marginof error Samplesize Polling method Lead Keanin Loomis Campaign (Unofficial) 22 9 24 38 35 921 14 Liaison Strategies 9 33 38 2 17 ±3.46 pp 800 IVR 6 2022 election - - - 40.51 17.79 - - 142,058 -

Results

City council elections Ward 1 - Chedoke-Cootes Two-term incumbent councillor Maureen Wilson won re-election in 2022 with 74.96% of the vote. She announced her intention to run for a third and final term in October 2024. Wilson's campaign focused on re-investing in infrastructure, growing Hamilton's commercial and industrial tax base, and complete streets.

Nathan Savelli, a 39 year old youth worker registered to run after Hamilton City Council failed to pass an interim control by-law restricting the construction of data centres in Hamilton. Savelli campaigned on opposing data centres, supporting affordable housing, and addressing the city's growing infrastructure deficit.

Mark Powell, the spouse of animal rights activist Regan Russell, registered to run near the end of nominations. Powell's campaign focused on transparency, better communication with the public, and protecting the Chedoke Golf Course, a publicly-run golf club with two 18-hole courses.

Ray Paquette, who sought the office of Ward 1 councillor in 2010, registered to run but informed the CBC that he was not actively campaigning for the seat.

2026 Hamilton, Ontario municipal election

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