Dawn Danko, who is running for council in Hamilton Ward 8, claims that the attack ads featuring her husband, a former councillor, are part of a “smear campaign” designed to “confuse voters.”
The creators of these ads believe they’re just playing fair.
These attack ads have shown up in print, on social media, and through robocalls. They mention John-Paul Danko raising taxes and supporting a “rain tax,” which critics label as a fee for upcoming stormwater services set to start in 2028.
But it’s important to note that the record being discussed belongs to her husband, not Dawn. He served as Ward 8 councillor until April 2025 when he was elected MP for Hamilton West-Ancaster-Dundas during the federal election.
“This is clearly manipulation … meant to confuse voters,” Dawn told CBC Hamilton as the Ontario municipal elections draw near.
She also mentioned that the ads are “based on things I’ve not been part of.”
In a You Tube video she released Monday, she referred to the ads as a “smear campaign.”
Later that day, some residents in Hamilton-including CBC reporters-received a robocall featuring a woman’s voice discussing “this crazy rain tax.” The call continued: “We can stop the Danko rain tax, but you need to vote for someone committed to stopping it.”
The call urged recipients to visit dankosraintax. com.
On Wednesday, Dawn expressed surprise at first but stated that “it does feel a bit alarming at this point.”
While she hasn’t taken an official stance on the stormwater fee yet, she intends to decide once she’s reviewed all relevant information.
Advertiser Claims He’s Exercising His Rights
The individuals behind these ads argue they’re simply exercising their rights.
The robocall identifies itself as being from Dennis Weyer. When CBC reached out via email for an interview with Weyer, he replied with a statement saying he’s “exercising my democratic right to speak out on issues that matter to Hamilton taxpayers.”
According to Weyer’s website, it combines factual information with opinion, humor, and political satire.
The site features AI-generated images of both Dawn and John-Paul Danko and has links to an X account sharing similar visuals.
“John-Paul Danko’s voting record is absolutely relevant,” Weyer stated. “He left before facing voters again. Now his wife is running to replace him. Those are facts-not misleading comparisons.”
Weyer’s take is that voters should question if Dawn would support her husband’s previous votes on taxes. p >
“I encourage residents” said Collins “to examine the voting records,” research facts and draw their own conclusions.” p >
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