With municipal nominations closed and those seeking election now officially on the ballot box, candidates are now pitching why they’re best suited as your city council member.
Two councillors were automatically re-elected — Riley Brockington, Ward 16 River and David Brown, Ward 21 Rideau-Jock — because they faced no opponents after the nomination period closed.
There are 14 people vying for the mayoral position in the nation’s capital, including incumbent Mark Sutcliffe, who is seeking his second term as council’s leader.
In the last municipal election in 2022, there were well over 100 people who placed their names on the ballot; this year there are fewer.
On the surface, with two councillors unopposed and fewer people registered, this could look like less civic engagement: Not necessarily, Brigitte Pellerin, a political commentator says.
She’s been following candidates around while they canvass for votes, and was surprised by how eager people were to speak to the nominees.
“These conversations we haven’t really had as much in the few years since the pandemic,” Pellerin explains. “It’s really coming back and I’m really seeing this as something that is hopeful and that may lead in four years, to more people, through this engagement with their neighbours being willing to step up and throw their hat in the ring.”
Policing, firefighters and infrastructure and affordability are top of mind for Ottawa voters.
Here’s the full list of who is running in the Oct. 26 municipal election:
Mayor
Jeff Leiper
Alex Lawson
Neil Saravanamuttoo
Zed Chebib
Peter Westaway
Suraj Harish
Queen Divine Priya Amber Bakshi
Bernard Couchman
Ali Shayvard
Jacob Solomon
Amjad Ali Syed
Josh Rachlis
Geoff Nicholas
Ward 1 Orléans East-Cumberland
Barbara Daniela Gandolfo
Sherif Rizk
Bob Bell
Tammie Trellert
Mazhar Choudhry
Yvette Ashiri
Ward 2 Orléans West-Innes
Ward 3 Barrhaven West
Ward 4 Kanata North
Ward 5 West Carleton
Ward 6 Stittsville
Chelsea Walton
Mani Sharma
Sheetal Narwal
Tanya Hein
Theresa Qadri
Kevin Hua
Marie-Ange Yindaki Ahinful
Paul Meek
Devin Michael Fitzgerald O’Brien
Ward 7 Bay
Ward 8 College
Ward 9 Knoxdale-Merivale
Ward 10 Gloucester-Southgate
Ward 11 Beacon Hill-Cyrville
Ward 12 Rideau-Vanier
Stéphanie Plante
Lyra Evans
Eric Smith
Brian Paquette
Michael Karl Sewanaku
Julie Fiala Chartrand
Ward 13 Rideau-Rockcliffe
Ward 14 Somerset
Robert Dekker
Dillon Anderson
Michael Tay
Nicholas Gollé
Ward 15 Kitchissippi
Joanne Chianello
Subhir Uppal
Brian Innes
Xavier Commerford
Ward 16 River
Ward 17 Capital
Ward 18 Alta Vista
Tressy El-Hawi
Derek McSweeney
Muhyadin Omar Barkhat
Elsa Niyongabo
Ward 19 Orléans South-Navan
Ward 20 Osgoode
Ward 21 Rideau-Jock
Ward 22 Riverside South-Findlay Creek
Ward 23 Kanata South
Erin Coffin
Megan Strazds-Esenbergs
Sam Bhalesar
Ward 24 Barrhaven East
Zahy A Adam
Jules Ruhinda
Yoosaf Melparamba
Ahmed Alsabaawi
An aerial shot of the nation’s capital at dusk. (University of Ottawa – Telfer School)
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