What’s the Latest: Horwath among incumbents ousted across Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area
Several incumbent mayors, including Hamilton’s Andrea Horwath, lost their re-election bids in Ontario‘s municipal elections on Monday night across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. Rob Cooper and Keanin Loomis won in Hamilton, while other notable results included rookie Alvin Tedjo defeating incumbent Carolyn Parrish in Mississauga.
Rob Cooper received 32 per cent of the vote in the Hamilton mayoral race, while Keanin Loomis secured 41 per cent, completing a significant turnaround since losing to Horwath in 2022. In Mississauga, rookie city councillor Alvin Tedjo garnered approximately 74,000 votes to win the mayoral election, overcoming former mayor Bonnie Crombie and incumbent Carolyn Parrish.
Rob Cooper and Keanin Loomis have won the mayoral races in Hamilton and other municipalities across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, with Loomis declaring victory and stating, “Tonight is about more than winning an election, it’s about hope, it’s about change.” Following this election cycle, several incumbent mayors were ousted, paving the way for newly elected mayors to implement their plans in the coming term.
What remains unclear — The exact reasons behind the significant voter discontent leading to the ousting of several incumbents, including Hamilton’s Andrea Horwath, have not been disclosed.
Horwath among incumbents defeated in Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area elections
Election night in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) resulted in significant upsets, with multiple incumbent mayors losing their positions. Among the most notable defeats was that of Hamilton mayor Andrea Horwath, who finished third with 14 per cent of the vote, trailing Rob Cooper at 32 per cent and Keanin Loomis at 41 per cent. Loomis claimed victory just before 11 p.m., expressing his gratitude: “Tonight is about more than winning an election, it’s about hope, it’s about change.”
The results marked a dramatic shift from Horwath’s narrow victory against Loomis in 2022, where she won by just under 1,700 votes. Loomis acknowledged the previous electoral defeat, stating he listened to resident feedback, characterising his comeback as a “true Hamilton story.”
In another major upset, Gord Krantz, who served as Milton’s mayor since 1980, lost to Coun. George Minakakis by a significant margin. Krantz, Canada’s longest-serving mayor, faced challenges from changing voter expectations in what he termed a “long-term vision.”
Meanwhile, the day’s election did offer some reaffirmation for certain incumbents. Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow secured re-election with about 54 per cent of the vote, while Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown achieved a similar victory margin. In Vaughan, Steven Del Duca won convincingly with 81.5 per cent of the vote, indicating a robust support for some established leaders.
Other incumbents faced similar fates as Horwath and Krantz. In Oakville, five-term mayor Rob Burton finished third with only 20 per cent of the vote, while rookie Alvin Tedjo won Mississauga’s mayoral race after a campaign that garnered around 74,000 votes. Post-election, Parrish, who lost her re-election bid, acknowledged the unique challenges of the past years, stating, “This wasn’t a normal election.”