26 candidates seeking eight mayor jobs in Ontario region

With a month to go before nominations close for the Oct. 26 municipal election, 26 hopefuls have put their names forward to be mayor in Durham Region’s eight municipalities.

There is guaranteed to be some turnover as just six of the incumbent mayors in the region are running for re-election, with Oshawa Mayor Dan Carter and Ajax Mayor Shaun Collier both leaving the political scene, though both could – in theory anyway – be appointed Durham Region Chair by the province.

Tito-Dante Marimpietri, Oshawa

OSHAWA – Regional Councillor Tito-Dante Marimpietri, a long-time veteran of municipal politics in Oshawa, is the front-runner to take Carter’s job, with competition from council colleagues Derek Giberson and Jim Lee, as well as Michael Coons, Henry Onwuachu, Joseph Tomlins and Dave Westlake.

PICKERING – Incumbent mayor Kevin Ashe will have his hands full this October with controversial councillor Lisa Robinson, businessman and community activist Shawn Rickard and Doug Cornell all running on campaigns to return fiscal responsibility and transparency to council.

WHITBY – It’s a two-candidate race in the region’s administrative capital, with Whitby Mayor Elizabeth Roy and Regional Councillor Chris Leahy – bitter council adversaries during the current term – vying for the job.

CLARINGTON – Mayor Adrian Foster is facing a familiar foe in Tom Dingwall, a former Durham cop who ran against Foster in 2022 and also took shots at the regional chair position (2018) and as a Conservative in Ajax riding (2018). Dingwall was also the subject of death threats allegedly made last year by a Clarington councillor in a bid to prevent him from running for mayor.

Marilyn Crawford, Ajax

AJAX – Regional Councillor Marilyn Crawford is hoping to win the mayor’s chair being vacated by Collier, with competition from Richard Hinds and former councillor Ashmeed Khan.

SCUGOG – The race for mayor in Scugog could be one of the most interesting campaigns, with incumbent Wilma Wotten facing council activist Mike Coll – an opponent of Wotten in the still-going debate over the future of the Port Perry Fairgrounds – and Regional Councillor Ian McDougal.

Dave Barton, Uxbridge

UXBRIDGE – Mayor Dave Barton will look to stay in office against competition from Ian Giffen and Ted Eng.

BROCK – Incumbent mayor Michael Jubb will try to hold onto his seat against Brenda Thyne.