Hamilton election: 100 days and counting

With 100 days until voting day as of this weekend, the list of hopefuls in Hamilton's fall election is growing as registered candidates pound the summer pavement.

And in a three-horse mayoral race so far, Keanin Loomis is the first to announce a major endorsement.

The former chamber of commerce CEO has the backing of Laborers' International Union of North America (LIUNA) in the run-up to the Oct. 24 election.

The construction union worked alongside Loomis on many initiatives that focus on the growth of our city including the unwavering support and advocacy for the Hamilton LRT," international vice-president Joseph Mancinelli said in a news release.

Indeed, Mancinelli and Loomis have been publicly aligned in pushing for the long-planned McMaster-to-Eastgate Square light-rail line. Mayor Fred Eisenberger, who's not seeking another term, is also an LRT cheerleader.

But that position runs counter to rival mayoral candidate Bob Bratina, who last May, announced he wouldn't seek re-election as Liberal MP for Hamilton East-Stoney Creek due to his party's $1.7-billion capital commitment to the project.

The province - which had temporarily pulled the plug on LRT in late 2019 - also pledged to match that amount to resurrect the Metrolinx-led initiative in May 2021.

After filing his papers last month, Bratina, who was mayor from 2010 to 2014, said the project would live and die on its own merits" and argued $3.4 billion in capital funds would be better spent on existing infrastructure needs, including roads.

Given his stance, the LIUNA endorsement could be viewed as a shot across the bow" of the Bratina campaign that signals the union doesn't want to relitigate" LRT this election, suggests Peter Graefe, a McMaster political scientist.

And while the endorsement in and of itself won't necessarily translate into votes, its announcement and other campaign events can help draw attention to Loomis, who isn't well known to the greater Hamilton population, Graefe observes.

So he does have to be out there, getting himself known and being taken as a serious candidate."

Since Loomis officially joined the race May 2, his campaign has chronicled his efforts via social media to do just that, which has involved more than 150,000 steps" and over 80 events.

By contrast, Bratina has kept a low profile, but Graefe notes he was a relatively late entrant in the 2010 contest he ended up winning.

The former broadcaster and city councillor might want to run a shorter campaign to conserve resources and may be banking on name recognition, Graefe says.

But it doesn't cost a lot of money to show up at a picnic, of course," he added. In that respect, it is a bit surprising."

Former taxi union official Ejaz Butt is also in the race for the mayoralty. The deadline to file nomination papers is 2 p.m. on Aug. 19.

Are they in or out?

All but three of 16 sitting council members have publicly declared their plans - or lack thereof - for the election.

Eisenberger isn't running again. Likewise, Sam Merulla (Ward 4), Brenda Johnson (Ward 11) and Judi Partridge (Ward 15) are bowing out.

Russ Powers, who was appointed to Ward 5 late last year after Chad Collins was elected Liberal MP in Hamilton East-Stoney Creek, isn't running, either.

So that guarantees five new elected officials.

But in eight wards, incumbents have signed up for the race:

Maureen Wilson (Ward 1), Nrinder Nann (Ward 3), Tom Jackson (Ward 6), Esther Pauls (Ward 7), John-Paul Danko (Ward 8), Brad Clark (Ward 9), Maria Pearson (Ward 10) and Arlene VanderBeek (Ward 13).

Jason Farr (Ward 2), who made an unsuccessful bid for the provincial Liberals this past June in Hamilton East-Stoney Creek, and Lloyd Ferguson (Ward 12) have yet to announce plans.

Terry Whitehead (Ward 14) has said he'd run again but then last month told council he'd return to sick leave for an undisclosed illness after an ethics probe found he bullied staff. Whitehead has rejected the findings.

Off to the races?

Across the board, 42 candidates have registered to run.

That, coupled with races without incumbents, is promising, says IELECT Hamilton, a group that launched in May 2021 with the goal of political renewal at city hall.

We're very excited by the number of people coming out," said Ryan Moran, one of the IELECT core organizers.

IELECT isn't supporting particular candidates, but has been pretty unabashed" about pining for new leadership," Moran said, pointing to secrecy over a four-year, 24-billion-litre sewage spill into Chedoke Creek and Cootes Paradise as one motivating factor.

Among the field so far, there are some interesting question marks," he said.

Take, for instance, the 10 candidates in Ward 4, where longtime east-end councillor Merulla is retiring from politics.

Meanwhile, in Ward 15 (Flamborough), where Partridge won't be an incumbent factor, only Ted McMeekin, a former Liberal MPP, is taking the plunge. McMeekin told Hamilton Community News he plans to make it official July 21.

If recent elections are indicators, the roster is likely to at least double by the Aug. 19 nomination deadline. In 2014, voters cast ballots for 87 candidates come election day and there were 104 in 2018.

For this fall, Ward 4's tally of 10 includes Alex Johnstone, Angelica Hasbon, Maxwell Francis, Mary Louise Williams, Laura Taylor, Pascale Marchand, Tammy Hwang, Adam Oldfield, Eric James Tuck and Cindy Louise Kennedy.

Ward 5, another incumbent-free race, has five hopefuls: Matt Francis, Olivia Divinski, Bob Hurst, Kevin Geenen and Sebastian Aldea.

Here's how things are shaping up elsewhere:

Ward 1 (Wilson, Ian MacPherson); Ward 2 (Cameron Kroetsch, Raquel Rakovac); Ward 3 (Nann, Laura Farr, Walter Furlan); Ward 6 (Jackson); Ward 7 (Pauls, Scott Duvall); Ward 8 (Danko, Anthony Frisina); Ward 9 (Clark); Ward 10 (Pearson, Jeff Beattie); Ward 11 (Nicholas Lauwers, Mark Tadeson); Ward 12 (Craig Cassar, Robert Maton, Megg Markettos); Ward 13 (VanderBeek); Ward 14 (Kojo Damptey, Brian Lewis, Colleen Wicken).

An updating list of candidates is on the city's website at Hamilton.ca.

Teviah Moro is a reporter at The Spectator. tmoro@thespec.com