2010 Hamilton, Ontario, municipal election

• Michael Baldasaro, leader of the Church of the Universe[2]
• Bob Bratina, City Councillor for Ward 2 (Downtown)[19]
• Mahesh Butani, Developer[20]
• Larry Di Ianni, former Mayor of Hamilton[2]
• Fred Eisenberger, then Mayor of Hamilton[2]
• Pasquale Filice, photographer and lawyer[21]
• Edward Graydon, Blogger and Businessman[22]
• Andrew Haines, human rights activist[23]
• Glenn Hamilton, Businessman and Property Manager[24]
• Ken Leach[2]
• Tone Marrone, actor and former offensive lineman for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats[25]
• Gino Speziale, tool and die maker[2]
• Victor Veri, farmer[26]
• Steven Waxman, businessman[27]
• Mark Wozny[2]

• 
  Downtown Councillor Bob Bratina
• 
  Developer Mahesh Butani
• 
  Mayor Fred Eisenberger
• 
  Lawyer Pasquale Filice
• 
  Blogger Edward Graydon
• 
  Marijuana activist Andrew Haines
• 
  Property manager Glenn Hamilton
• 
  Contender Ken Leach
• 
  Actor Tone Marone
• 
  Tool and die maker Gino Speziale
• 
  Farmer Victor Veri
• 
  Deli Owner Steven Waxman
• 
  Contender Mark Wozny

Michael Baldasaro was the first candidate to file in early January and was later joined by self-proclaimed marijuana advocate Andrew Haines.[28] Mahesh P. Butani filed his nomination in mid-April and Mayor Fred Eisenberger, having already confirmed he would be seeking a second term in mid-2008, filed on May 31.[29]

Following months of speculation, former Mayor Larry Di Ianni announced he would be standing in the mayoral election in an interview with the Hamilton Spectator on July 26.[30] Perennial joke candidate Marty Zulinak filed soon after, claiming that he would finance his campaign with money from returning used beer bottles.[31] He would later drop out and run for Ward 13 (Dundas) City Councillor.

The Pan Am Games Stadium controversy developed in August. Mayor Eisenberger took the side of the proposed West Harbour location on Hamilton's Waterfront. The ensuing local debate became so passionately heated, Eisenberger began receiving death threats and council, after affirming their support for the West Harbour, reversed their decision and initiated a reevaluation of potential sites.[32] Though the mayor was commended by Toronto's Mayor David Miller and lauded as the week's boldest leader in The Globe and Mail,[33] his handling of the situation caused former New Democratic MP and MPP Ian Deans and Ward 2 (Downtown) Councillor Bob Bratina to announce they would be contesting the election.[34][35]

Though Deans withdrew from the mayoral race on Thursday, September 9 to run for Ward 2 Councillor,[36] Eisenberger faced fourteen opposing candidates after the close of nominations on September 10, 2010.[28]

On Thursday, October 7, following a debate at Sir John A. Macdonald High School, Edward Graydon unofficially dropped out of the race after fellow contender Andrew Haines told him to "smoke a joint". Graydon was outraged at the comments, and decided to withdraw from the race to support Larry Di Ianni, who came to his defence following Haines' comments. Di Ianni then asserted marijuana advocates should not be attending debates at high schools and school board officials announced they would be reiterating the school's official anti-drug policies the following day.[37] Graydon continued to attend the mayoralty debates, and his name remained on the ballot, as the official withdrawal date had passed by the time he 'withdrew'.

The campaign for councillor in Ward One focused heavily on the Pan Am Stadium. The West Hamilton Ward was a potential host site for the venue, a fact that incumbent Councillor Brian McHattie passionately opposed. During the election, McHattie ran on a campaign of continuing a push for Light Rail Transit, expanded HSR bus service and improved environmental and anti-poverty projects.[38]

Challenger Raymond Paquette campaigned on a similar platform, with the exception of supporting an increased number of liquor licenses granted to restaurants in Westdale Village, an area popular with McMaster University students.[38]

All three candidates vocally opposed the Pam Am Stadium being placed in Ward One. Each candidate was concerned about the strain such a venue would have on the community surrounding the proposed site, a working CP Rail Yard.[39]

• Brian McHattie, councillor since 2003, ran for a third term in Ward One.[2]
• Tony Greco is a local barber and stood as a candidate for Ward One Councillor in 2006, garnering 33% in contrast to Councillor McHattie's 63%.[2]
• Raymond Paquette is the owner of Ray's Place, a Dundurn Street restaurant.[40]

• Jason Farr was employed as a host with Cable 14 prior to the election. He was also a volunteer with the Hamilton chapter of the Kiwanis Boys and Girls Club and Camp Maple Leaf/Committed for Kids (BANYAN Community).
• Matt Jelly is a local activist and who organizes volunteer activities in the downtown core. He ran for mayor in 2003, finishing seven out of as many candidates.
• Martinus Geleynse was a local entrepreneur and the director of the Hamilton24, a large arts festival.[41] Geleynse was also an organizer with the Our City, Our Future campaign, which promoted the proposed West Harbour stadium for the 2015 Pan American Games.[42]
• Erik Hess was a professional landscape architect and superintendent of park development for the city of Hamilton. He also served as an independent consultant for the waterfront trust and as a member of the King Street West Business Improvement Area.[43]
• Former Ward One Councillor Marvin Caplan, who served from 1994 until 2003, filed to run in Ward Two on September 8.[2]
• James Novak had been the Elections Canada Returning Officer for Hamilton Centre and a longtime resident of Hamilton's lower city. After the resignation of Councillor Andrea Horwath, he ran in the 2004 by-election to fill her Ward Two seat.[44]
• Diane Chiarelli was a partner with Chiarelli & Noble and the co-founder of United Grandparents of Canada.[45]
• HooJung Jones, a Korean-Canadian businesswoman and author, was most notable for her book, Canadians Our Heroes, 1950-1953 Korean War. She graduated from McMaster's Commerce program in 1999.[46][47]
• Ian Deans, former New Democratic MP for Hamilton Mountain, filed to run for mayor on September 2, after openly speculating about a return to politics in a mid-2008 interview with the Hamilton Mountain News. He withdrew from the race to run for Ward 2 Councillor on September 7.[48]
• Shane Coleman was the son of a stall-holder at the Hamilton Farmer's Market, and had, prior to running, lobbied the city for subsidized parking for market patrons.[49]
• Matteo Gentile, a Mohawk College graduate, operated a small restaurant.[50]
• Charlie Pipe was a line operator at Procter and Gamble who had graduated from the Dundas Valley School of Art.[51]
• Ned Janjic, a graduate of McMaster University's Political Science program, was a property owner and developer in Hamilton since completing his studies.[52]
• Lloyd Ferguson
• Somali-Canadian Liban Abdi, an employee with Settlement and Integration Services Ontario (SISO), sought election in the downtown ward.[53]
• Kevin Wright is a former Officer in the Canadian Forces and has worked with numerous non-profit groups city and province wide.[54]
• Paul Casey
• Dawn Lescaudron ran in the 2006 election, placing third behind winner Bob Bratina with just over 5% of the vote.
• Pat Ielasi
• John Castle

• Bob Black works with the Hamilton Area Labour Council.[55]
• Mark DiMillo ran in Ward 7 in the 2006 Election, capturing 1,179 votes (8.48%), finishing fifth in the election won by incumbent Scott Duvall.
• Sean Gibson ran in the 2006 Election, gaining 27% to incumbent councillor Bernie Morelli's 73%.
• Wilamina McGrimmond is a native rights activist, and sought the provincial New Democratic Party nomination for Hamilton East-Stoney Creek in the 2007 Provincial Election.[56]
• Longtime incumbent councillor Bernie Morelli has filed for re-election, despite rumours that he would not stand in 2010.[57]
• Paul Tetley is a Ward 3 homeowner and a businessman, whose campaign slogan is "Get Ready for Change" and focus is on "Vision, Leadership and Change".[58]

• Norm Bulbrook ran in the 2006 election and placed 3rd, with 4.63% of the vote.[2]
• Giulio Cicconi is the treasurer of the United Steelworkers Local 8782 at U.S. Steel's Nanticoke Plant.[59]
• Sam Merulla is the ward's two-term incumbent councillor, with close affiliations with the New Democrats.[60] In 2006, he collected 5005 votes and won over closest challenger Dave Wilson.

• Jaswinder Bedi was a representative of the Ontario Taxiworkers Union.[61]
• Incumbent councillor Chad Collins, who had served on Hamilton City Council since 1994, sought re-election in his east Hamilton ward.[2]
• Frank Rukavina was the Conservative candidate in Hamilton East-Stoney Creek in the 2008 Federal election.[62]
• Dave Stacey filed on the last day of nominations, September 10.[2]

• Chris Behrens, who filed on July 27, was a high school Automotive and Transportation technology teacher.[63]
• Michelle Febers was the co-chair of the Hamilton Make It Seven Day rally, an event in support of RIM CEO Jim Balsillie's attempt to relocate the Phoenix Coyotes to Hamilton.[64]
• 22-year council veteran Tom Jackson sought another term in Ward 6. Jackson was, at the time, the longest serving member of council, having completed seven terms as Ward 6's representative.[65]
• Challenger Steven Knowles stepped up on August 18.[66]
• Ed Pecyna was the St. Margaret Mary Catholic Elementary School Council President.[67]
• Nathalie Xian Yi Yan decided to run in Ward 6 again, after receiving 2,160 votes and losing to councillor Tom Jackson in the 2006 Election.

• Keith Beck had filed to run in Ward Two earlier in the year, but dropped out of the race on August 4. Previously, he had received 507 votes in the 2006 Election, though as a candidate for Ward 10 and, prior to the close of nominations that year, he had filed papers to run for mayor, but withdrew from that race to pursue a councillor's position.[2]
• First-term Councillor Scott Duvall announced that he would be seeking a second term in the Mountain News on January 1, 2010.[68] He officially filed to run in Ward 7 again on the first day nominations opened, January 4.[69]
• John Gallagher also stood in the 2006 election for the position of Ward Seven Councillor, placing fourth with 9.21% of the vote.[2]
• Trevor Pettit, who filed on September 2, was the former Progressive Conservative MPP for Hamilton Mountain.

Ward Eight's council race was marked by the unofficial withdrawal of two candidates, namely Jeff Bonner for personal reasons and Bruce Whitelaw in support of incumbent Councillor Terry Whitehead's campaign.[70]

Whitehead's last campaigning opponent, Kim Jenkinson, wrote a post-election reflection for The Hamilton Spectator, where she outlined her reasons for running and the process by which she campaigned. In the article, she noted, "I've had my say, I've played fair, and I have met some interesting people, and had my family and friends at my back the whole way."[71]

• Realtor and Mohawk College alumnus Jeff Bonner filed to run for council on July 8.[72] On Sept. 23, Bonner announced he would be ceasing all campaign activities thanks to issues of a "personal nature".[70]
• Kim Jenkinson, BA, CGA is currently the controller for a children's charity. Jenkinson ran what she called a 'back to basics' campaign, highlighting a platform of accountability and action.[73]
• Incumbent Councillor Terry Whitehead filed for re-election on July 21, 2010.[2]
• A pipe fitter on disability, Bruce Whitelaw focused on senior care, saying that it was an issue that, "lit my fire.... We're not maintaining their dignity."[74] On October 15, 2010, Whitelaw announced that would step down from the campaign and throw his support behind incumbent Terry Whitehead.[75]

• Brad Clark, the first-term incumbent councillor, sought a second term.[2]
• Nancy Fiorentino was a local resident who worked for the Town of Oakville.[76]
• Geraldine McMullen was a representative with Canadian Office and Professional Employees Union, Local 343.[77]
• Former Olympian and police officer, Andrew Mowatt ran for the first time.[78]

• IT entrepreneur Jose Pablo Bustamante filed papers to run in Ward 10, saying "New people need to come to city council and new ideas have to flow."[69]
• Bernard Josipovic, a former employee for local radio station Y108, as well as both of Hamilton's steel manufacturers, Stelco and Dofasco, filed on June 3.[79]
• Maria Pearson, two term Ward 10 councillor is seeking a third mandate.[2]

• Ken Chartrand was a first time candidate, who said in an interview with The Hamiltonian, "It is time for a new representative with a strong ear who listens and has vast knowledge of all the communities and will represent all the people."[80]
• Brenda Johnson, a Winona resident and member of Environment Hamilton notable for her activism in persuading the city to avoid a Wal-Mart power centre development in her town, stood for the first time.[81]
• Controversial councillor Dave Mitchell sought another term on city council in the wake of his censure by his peers in 2008.[82]

• Brenda Cox-Graham is an Ancaster based lawyer, who has contributed to major international legal journals.[83]
• Ancaster councillor Lloyd Ferguson, despite considering a mayoral run, has decided to run for a second term.[84]

Russ Powers, the incumbent councillor and former Liberal MP for Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale, sought another term on council. Aside from a two-year period, Powers had served in local elected office since 1982.[85] Powers' message during the campaign and to local media was simple, though light on policy specifics. When asked about his platform, Powers indicated he was running "To continue to represent the citizens of the community of Dundas to the best of my ability."[86]

Danya Scime, a vocal opponent of the West Harbour Pan Am Games Stadium site, filed to run against Powers on September 8.[87] Scime's campaign focused on growing Dundas' commercial tax base through redeveloping brownfields, protecting greenspace, and improving the city's regulatory process to make by-laws and permits more simple.[86] Ron Tammer was a member of the community active with Dundas Minor Hockey Association and Dundas Minor Baseball Association, as well as working with advocacy groups like the Hamilton Youth Justice Committee and Friends of the Red Hill Valley. Tammer's campaign focused on addressing issues of poverty and more responsible development to protect ecologically-sensitive areas.[86] Glenn Robinson, a life-long Dundas resident, campaigned on broadening the scope of community consultation.[86]

Perennial candidate Marty Zulniak dropped out of the mayoral contest to run against Powers in Ward 13. Zulniak, a Dundas native and local "colourful character", campaigned on a localist platform of supporting the community, telling The Spectator "infrastructure in this community isn't what it was in the good ole days," and pushing to clean up Spencer Creek.[86]

• First-term incumbent councillor Robert Pasuta was acclaimed to a second term when no candidates challenged him by the close of nominations on September 10, 2010.[2]

• Neil Bos is the owner of Village Fish and Chips in Waterdown.[88]
• Brian Gaspar is the chairman of the Newalta/Hamilton Landfill Liaison Committee, an organization dedicated to opening dialogue concerning the area's local landfill.[89]
• Judi Partridge, who ran in the 2006 Election, is the current chair of the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce.