Former Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath puts hat in Hamilton mayoral race
Former Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath will run for mayor of Hamilton in the October municipal elections.
The 59-year-old politician confirmed rumours that she intended to put her hat in the race at a news conference held Tuesday morning.
“I’ve worked with the people of Hamilton for literally my entire life,” she told reporters. “People know what they’re getting because I’ve been doing this work for a while, loving every minute of it, and looking forward to have the chance to do that as mayor.”
Horwath did not release any concrete details about her platform, saying there is lots of time between now and the election in October.
She also said she will be resigning from her position as Member of Provincial Parliament for Hamilton Centre so she can focus her efforts on the campaign. A by-election will be called at a later date.
“I really believe that my best way now, going forward, to serve the people of Hamilton Centre, to work for them and achieve for them, is through the mayor's position.”
- Download our app to get local alerts to your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
Horwath began her career in public service as a Hamilton city councillor in 1997 before entering provincial politics in 2004. She served as leader of the Ontario New Democratic Party for 13 years—and four elections.
She stepped down from her position as party leader in June after failing to clinch the position of premier.
Whispers that Horwath would return to her roots at city council began circulating after current Mayor Fred Eisenberger announced he would not be running for re-election after three years in the position.
Other candidates vying for the position include former mayor and Liberal MP Robery Bratina, former mayoral candidate and taxi union head Ejaz Butt, and former Hamilton Chamber of Commerce CEO Keanin Loomis.
The municipal election is scheduled for Oct. 24.
‘I’M A COLLABORATOR’
Horwath was briefly asked her thoughts about Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s proposal to give mayors stronger powers, including the ability to veto council proposals, while announcing her intention to run in the Hamilton race.
The “strong mayor” powers would, if tabled and passed in the legislature, be granted to Toronto and Ottawa first before rolling out across the province.
“At the end of the day if Mr. Ford, the premier of our province, decides he's going to extend the strong mayor situation to all of the municipalities, what I can guarantee you, if I'm given the honor to serve as mayor of our city, is that I will always continue to collaborate,” she said.
“That’s what I do. I’m a collaborator.”
Horwath said she will need to wait to see the legislation and how it could be implemented in other cities prior to making any further comments.
In a statement released following the announcement, Premier Ford thanked Horwath for her service at the Ontario legislature and wished her, and all other municipal candidates across the province, the “best of luck.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Canucks claw out 5-4 comeback win over Oilers in Game 1
Dakota Joshua had a goal and two assists and the Vancouver Canucks scored three third-period goals to claw out a 5-4 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Wednesday.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.