Horwath’s entry into Hamilton mayoral race increases attention on candidates, say analysts – Hamilton

A pair of political commentators agree with former Ontario NDP leader By Andrea Horwath Joining the battle to be Hamilton’s top politician is an impetus for the city race and could mean all the candidates will keep an eye on them over the next three months.

Horwath appears to have shaken up the four-man race by officially putting pen to paper at town hall on Tuesday becoming the first woman to take the mayor seat.

She told 900 CHML’s Good Morning Hamilton that the fun part of potentially getting the job is “finding common ground on the vision” of the city, which she said was “missed” during her time in party politics.

“I am very much looking forward, if I have the honor to do so, to go back to that kind of scenario that is about collaboration,” Horwath said.

“It’s a place where finding common ground on a vision that moves us forward and that does it in such a way that the people of Hamilton are not only excited and proud, but where we are…really we are. got real results on some things.”

Former Hamilton mayor Larry Di Ianni suggests that Horwath’s entry gives the mayoral race “three credible candidates” and is likely to put her at the top as “the one to beat” failed” due to her long career in provincial politics.

“Of course, that’s not the only reason people would vote for her, but it’s one of the reasons I think people of all genders, political and other, would see Andrea as a candidate. very reliable staff,” said Di Ianni.

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Andrea Horwath resigns as MPP, runs for Mayor of Hamilton

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Along with Horwath, the race includes former Hamilton Chamber of Commerce director Keanin Loomis, former Liberal mayor and MP Bob Bratina and former city taxi driver union leader Ejaz Butt.

Di Ianni said that mayoral candidates affiliated with Canada’s major political parties should probably “wash up” some of their “political lines” suggesting voters would want a mayor who would do “those things”. pragmatic” benefit the community.

“Bob Bratina has just appeared as a Liberal MP, I would say that if he becomes mayor again, he will not support Liberal causes. You also have to do what’s right for the community,” said Di Ianni.

Peter Graefe, an associate professor of political science at McMaster University, also suggests Horwath and Bratina may have to give up some of their major partisan personalities in order to respect the people of the city and their priorities.

Given the voting habits in counties like Stony Creek, Flamborough, Ancaster and Dundas that are closely linked to Conservative and Liberal candidates, Horvath will likely have to convince Hamiltonians to have a reason to her. running for office, according to Graefe.

“Voters often don’t know much about candidates and what they stand for,” Graefe said

“Having a brand on her that way would help her mobilize NDP voters, but would probably also make it harder for her to reach some of the earlier conservative voters who might consider her to be. .”

Reminiscing on her successful campaign to become mayor in 2010, Bratina said 900 CHML’s Hamilton Today he believed at the time that the provincial Liberal Party platforms were “in the best harmony” with what the city council was hoping to achieve.

However, he acknowledged that “there should be no partisanship” with the mayor because the individual must be “open to all levels of government.”

“I would like to see our council…support any senior politician willing to help us achieve our goals,” Bratina said.

In a way, Grafe says Horwath’s involvement complicates the campaign because she “intrudes” and “crosses” two major issues, LRT and urban boundaries.

“I think she was closer to Keenan Loomis in the pro-LRT camp against the anti-LRT Bob Bratina,” says Grafe.

“On the urban scale, she’s really with Bob Bratina… the anti-urban camp, against Keenan Loomis, who seems to want to explore more urban boundaries.”

Keanin Loomis told Global News he believes “name recognition” Horwath and Bratina have given the race “both ways” sending it as familiar as they are “it doesn’t mean they’re the favorites.” .”

“The biggest challenge for us, will be to break that bubble and really get people to understand that they don’t have binary options here,” Loomis said of his campaign.

“They certainly don’t have to follow their partisan lines.”

Global News has reached out to Ejaz Butt for details of his campaign but has yet to receive a response. In 2014, he introduced a four-year tax freeze, which found residents overtaxed.

Horwath is no stranger to city politics, having been elected to the council in 1997 for Ward 2 and continuing through two re-elections in 2000 and 2003.

Bratina joined the city council after winning an election in 2004 prompted by Horwath’s move into provincial politics.

Di Ianni suspects name recognition and previous experience on the city council will not affect Horwath or Bratina’s chances as each will likely be familiar to most fringe voters.

“If I go to Greece on a brand new plane… I want the captain to have some flying experience,” said Di Ianni.

“When you’re flying an airplane as big as the city of Hamilton with over half a million inhabitants, you have to know what you’re doing.”