Former Ontario cabinet minister and rural mayor joins Hamilton city council race
Published July 20, 2022 at 3:25 pm
Ted McMeekin wants to represent Flamborough politically again, this time at city hall in Hamilton.
Reports Wednesday say that McMeekin, who was mayor of the community before it was amalgamated into the City of Hamilton in 2000, will register to run for Ward 15 (Flamborough East) in the municipal election. The former provincial Liberal cabinet minister would be the first registered candidate in the ward, where incumbent Judi Partridge has opted to move on after 12 years.
He would be the third candidate attempting a return to municipal politics after holding office provincially or federally. Former mayor and ex-Liberal MP Bob Bratina is running for mayor alongside challengers Ejaz Butt and Keanin Loomis. Scott Duvall, a former NDP MP, is challenging Coun. Esther Pauls in Ward 7, which Duvall represented for nine years before going to Ottawa.
McMeekin was a councillor in the former Ward 7, then mayor of Flamborough for six years. He won five terms at Queen’s Park, starting in 2000, when he won a byelection in the Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale riding by seizing on anti-amalgamation sentiment. He was cabinet minister under premiers Dalton McGuinty and Kathleen Wynne, handling four different portfolios from 2007-16. In the 2018, he lost his seat in Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas to New Democrat Sandy Shaw.
Hamilton Community News broke the news of McMeekin’s candidacy.
I apologize. Ted McMeekin will be registering to run in Ward 15, in Flam currently rep by Judi Partridge. McMeekin, former Liberal MPP, was Flam's two-term mayor. HamOnt
— Kevin Werner (@WerkHCN) July 20, 2022
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Nominations close in 30 days
The municipal election in Hamilton is on Oct. 24, which is under 100 days away. McMeekin throwing his hat into the ring would mean that all 15 wards finally have a council candidate.
In comparison, Ward 4 (East Hamilton) has 10 registered candidates. Sam Merulla is retiring from council after 22 years. Neighbouring Ward 5 (Centennial) has five candidates vying to replace Coun. Russ Powers, who is serving out the term as an appointed councillor.
The deadline to register is 30 days away, on Aug. 19. At least eight of the 15 councillors will be seeking re-election.
Couns. Brad Clark (Ward 9), Tom Jackson (6) and Arlene VanderBeek (13) do not yet have an officially registered opponent.
Pauls and Couns. John-Paul Danko (Ward 8), Maria Pearson (10), Nrinder Nann (3), Maureen Wilson (1) have registered, and will face a race.
Couns. Jason Farr (Ward 2), Lloyd Ferguson (12) and Terry Whitehead (14) have not registered, but it is not unusual for an incumbent to file later than a challenger.
Merulla, Partridge and Couns. Brenda Johnson (11) have all made some kind of formal announcement that they are moving on from City Hall.
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