The deadline for candidate registration in the forthcoming provincial election is fast approaching. Individuals interested in running for mayor, councillor, or school board trustee in the 2026 municipal election scheduled for October 26 have until 2 p.m. on August 21 to submit their candidacy.
In Hamilton, Ward 5 and more than half of the school board trustee positions are likely to be uncontested if no additional candidates come forward in the next four days. Currently, Ward 5 stands as the sole ward with only one registered candidate, the incumbent councillor Matt Francis, who was first elected in 2022.
Within the public and Catholic school boards, over half of the trustee seats have attracted only one candidate. In the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB), wards 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 14, and 15 have single candidates, with some being current trustees. Similarly, at the Catholic board, five out of the nine seats have only one candidate vying for the position, including wards 1, 2, and 15, where the current trustee was acclaimed in 2022. Additionally, wards 3, 4, 5, 8, 14, 9, and 11 each have only one candidate registered.
For an updated list of registered candidates for the Hamilton election, you can refer to CBC Hamilton’s website. August 21 also marks the final day for candidates to withdraw their nominations. Several candidates, such as Ward 10 councillor Jeff Beattie, have already opted to withdraw their candidacy to run for the Progressive Conservatives in the upcoming Hamilton East—Stoney Creek by-election on September 3.