Andrea Horwath has officially entered the race for Hamilton mayor in the upcoming municipal election on October 26. While she had previously announced her candidacy, she had not completed the necessary paperwork to be listed as an official candidate. However, on Friday afternoon, Horwath’s candidacy was confirmed on the city’s website.
In a news release, Horwath reflected on the significant challenges the city has faced over the past four years, including issues such as housing and homelessness, rising living costs, and infrastructure underinvestment. She acknowledged that while not all problems have been solved, progress has been made, and she promised to share more details about her campaign soon.
During a news conference on Friday, Horwath highlighted her achievements in advancing major projects that were previously stagnant, such as the Hamilton LRT, Jamesville affordable housing redevelopment, and TD Coliseum. She also mentioned her focus on improving cybersecurity measures following a significant cyberattack on city systems in 2024.
Horwath narrowly won the mayoral race in 2022, defeating Keanin Loomis by approximately 1,600 votes. This year, she will face Loomis again along with several other challengers. Since the city’s amalgamation in 2000, only one mayor, Fred Eisenberger, has been reelected for consecutive terms in 2014 and 2018.
Other candidates running for mayor in Hamilton include Sasha Austin, Ejaz Butt, Rob Cooper, Paul Fromm, Scarlett Gillespie, Keanin Loomis, Pamela Mitchell, Kevin Walker, and Nathalie Xian Yi Yan. Each candidate brings a unique perspective and platform to the race, aiming to address various issues facing the city. Nomination forms for candidates are due by 2 p.m. on August 21.