New Candidates Step Up as London Election Deadline Approaches

With just over an hour remaining before the filing deadline, Osam Ali visited London City Hall and registered as a city council candidate for Ward 8.

Explaining his last-minute decision, the software engineer mentioned he chose to run after noticing only two other candidates competing for the west-end ward.

“I felt like, OK, let’s go and try my best to be one of the candidates, and I hope to do a good job as the candidate and, if elected, for the city as well,” he said.

Osam Ali is running for a council seat in Ward 8. He also ran but finished sixth in the ward back in 2018. (Andrew Lupton/)

Ali was one of several late entries ahead of the 2 p. m. deadline for submitting nomination papers in races for mayor, council, and school board local elections scheduled for Oct. 26.

He previously ran in 2018 and finished sixth in that election. Ali stated that entering this race feels like part of his responsibility as a Londoner.

“Civic engagement, community empowerment, and also we are trying to make our city one of the best cities in the southwest region,” he said.

Also submitting his paperwork just before 2 p. m. was Paul Gray. He registered as a candidate for multiple wards within Thames Valley District School Board.

“I’ve run before; this is my second time,” Gray told reporters after filing his documents. “Hopefully this time, I’ll be successful.” He aims to advocate for enhanced safety in schools and changes that could improve student reading scores.

With about an hour left before the Friday deadline at 2 p. m., Paul Gray filed his nomination papers for Thames Valley District School Board. (Andrew Lupton/)

Gray expressed that he’s not discouraged by the fact that if elected, he and other school board trustees would start without any real power or clarity about their roles since the province took control of the board earlier this spring.

“I believe I can bring some fresh new ideas,” he said. “I don’t think the suspension or limitation of the school board will be indefinite. I think they will have some of their powers restored. I think there’s hope for the future.”

A total of 69 candidates are competing for 14 city council seats while there are 12 candidates running for mayor.

In comparison, there were 10 mayoral candidates and 61 council candidates back in 2022.

You can see the full list of candidates here.

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