ANALYSIS: Why Ontario’s best mayoral race might be in Hamilton

The city of Hamilton is a tough place to be the mayor.

Starting in this century: Robert Wade served one term before retiring from public life. Larry Di Ianni served one term before losing to Fred Eisenberger, who served one term before losing to Bob Bratina, who served one term before losing to Eisenberger — who actually managed to win two consecutive elections. Now, Andrea Horwath is in the final year of her first term as mayor.

Can she win a second term?

Hamiltonians seem to want to keep their mayors humble. Horwath won the 2022 mayor’s race by just 1,663 votes, out of more than 130,000 votes cast. Eisenberger won the 2006 mayor’s race by 452 votes out of nearly 130,000 votes cast. And all signs point to a tight three-way fight this October, for the right to wear the mayor’s chain of office.

Now, I concede part of the reason I’m so interested in this race is that Hamilton is my hometown, and I know all the players reasonably well. But as you look around Ontario, it’s hard to find such a dramatic, three-way fight between an incumbent, their former challenger, and a new entrant on the scene who’s also turning heads. The winner has the daunting task of […] This is an excerpt. Read the full article at TVO.org.