Several new candidates have joined the municipal election race in Hamilton just before the Friday 2 p.m. deadline. Notable entries include former councillor Terry Whitehead in Ward 8, three fresh mayoral candidates, and two additional contenders in Ward 5, preventing uncontested acclamation of incumbent councillor Matt Francis.
The upcoming municipal election is scheduled for October 26. The city confirmed that the final list of candidates who submitted their nominations before the deadline was published on the city’s website late Friday afternoon. The list of officially certified candidates will be made available on Monday as per the city’s announcement.
Among the late entrants is former councillor Terry Whitehead, who previously served as Ward 8 councillor from 2003 to 2018 and as Ward 14 councillor from 2018 to 2022. In 2021, Whitehead faced sanctions from the city’s integrity commissioner for misconduct towards staff, leading to his decision not to seek re-election. He finished second to Rob Cooper in the Ward 8 byelection last year, triggered by the election of then-councillor John Paul Danko to a federal position. Notably, Cooper is now running for the mayoral position.
In Ward 8, Whitehead will face competition from Dawn Danko, the wife of former school board trustee and provincial candidate John Paul Danko. Ward 8 is one of several wards without an incumbent candidate in the upcoming election.
Ward 5 also saw last-minute entries, with Ahmad Khan and Juanita Maldonado registering to challenge incumbent councillor Matt Francis. Ward 10 and Ward 13 are additional wards without incumbents due to Jeff Beattie withdrawing his candidacy in Ward 10 after being named the Progressive Conservative candidate in a recent byelection and councillor Alex Wilson’s decision not to seek re-election in Ward 13.
The mayoral race has expanded with the addition of three new candidates: David Mark Cherkewski, David Harrison, and Erin Janus. Cherkewski, an advocate for anti-poverty initiatives and a former recipient of Ontario’s basic income pilot, has been vocal about poverty reduction in Hamilton. Janus, known for her work as a musician, YouTuber, and filmmaker, has focused on producing online content covering animal rights and veganism. As of Friday, there was limited information available about David Harrison’s campaign.
These new candidates bring the total number of mayoral contenders to 13, including Mayor Andrea Horwath, who declared her candidacy the previous week. In Ward 12 and Ward 14, the races have relatively fewer candidates, with Fred Bennink challenging incumbent councillor Craig Cassar in Ward 12 and a one-on-one rematch between councillor Mike Spadafora and former rival Kojo Damptey in Ward 14, following their closely contested 2022 election where Spadafora emerged victorious by a narrow margin.