Oakville’s upcoming municipal election is gearing up to be one of the most significant changes at Town Hall in recent years, with six out of the town’s 14 ward council seats expected to have new representatives and a competitive five-way race for mayor that includes some current council members.
The election on Oct. 26 will see incumbent Mayor Rob Burton aiming for another term against sitting councillors Sean O’Meara and Jeff Knoll, along with Arvind Choudhary and Julia Hanna.
This race is particularly fascinating because both O’Meara and Knoll are stepping down from their council positions to pursue the role of mayor.
For Hanna, this campaign represents her third attempt at becoming mayor, having come very close to defeating Burton in the 2022 election when he received 19,949 votes compared to her 19,063 – just an 886 vote difference.
Hanna also ran against Burton in 2018, making this the third consecutive municipal election where these two candidates are competing for the mayoral seat.
On his part, Burton is looking to extend his tenure as Oakville’s mayor that started back in 2006.
The mayoral contest isn’t the only aspect worth noting.
Six out of Oakville’s 14 ward council positions will welcome new faces after this election.
Ward 2 Town and Regional Councillor Cathy Duddeck, Ward 3 Town Councillor Dave Gittings, and Ward 4 Town and Regional Councillor Allan Elgar have all chosen not to run for re-election.
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The other three open spots are due to councillors advancing their political careers or, in one case related to tragedy.
Ward 1 Town and Regional Councillor O’Meara and Ward 5 Town Councillor Knoll are both running for mayor; meanwhile, sadly Ward 5 Town Councillor Marc Grant passed away unexpectedly in July. His position is currently vacant and requires an appointment for someone to complete the current term.
As a result, six of the fourteen ward seats around the council table will have new councillors after this election takes place-regardless of how those races turn out.
There will be some continuity as well.
Jonathan Mc Neice was acclaimed in Ward 1, Janet Haslett-Theall was acclaimed in Ward 3, and longtime Ward 6 councillor Tom Adams was acclaimed for another term. Adams has been on council since way back in 2003.
The Town of Oakville announced that nominations closed at exactly 2 p. m. on Aug. 21; the election itself is set for Oct. 26.
Below is a complete list of certified candidates participating in Oakville’s municipal election organized by position and ward. Candidates who withdrew after filing are no longer included on these lists.
Mayor
Rob Burton Arvind Choudhary Julia Hanna Jeff Knoll Sean O’Meara
Ward 1 – Town Councillor
Alexandra Caldwell Amir Henry David Imrie Pierce Lang Nancy Ortenburg
Ward 1 – Town and Regional Councillor
Ward 2 – Town Councillor
Ray Chisholm Ayesha Khawaja Sana Waqar
Ward 2 – Town and Regional Councillor
Zena Al-Mudaris Desmond Jordan Sarah Perkin Stacey Saunders
Ward 3 – Town Councillor
Ward 3 – Town and Regional Councillor
Ward 4 – Town Councillor
Peter Longo Luba Slanina Syed Tahir
Ward 4 – Town and Regional Councillor
Kashif (Kash) Chaudry Suzan Chong Vandana Giri Roger Lapworth Hutchison Lee Farah Shamim
Ward 5 – Town Councillor
Jerome Adamo Mirsab Fasih Sue Heddle Thane Mitches Matt Ray Smith Audrey Wubbenhorst
Ward 5 – Town and Regional Councillor
Mackenzie Grant Orla Johnston Michael Reid
Ward 6 – Town Councillor
Natalia Lishchyna Pierre Sauvageot Smita Tulsani
