An Early Look at What the October Ballot is Likely to Look Like in October

By Pepper Parr

June 28, 2026

BURLINGTON, ON

OPINION

We are at the point where we know who the candidates are going to be in the election that takes place October 26^th.

There might be one more last-minute name coming forward.

The candidates are knocking on doors, taking part in events.

Interesting to think about what a future Council could look like.

Let’s troll through the wards and look at the potential.

Ward 1 candidates:

Galbraith shellacked Radaway in 2022.

No reason to expect things to be different this time around.

Cheryl Hurst is an unknown at this point.  As she develops her campaign, the public will have a better idea what she brings to the table.

Galbraith does have some problems.  His conflicts are glaring and he has yet to say how he can both fully represent the constituents and, at the same time, tend to his development interests.

The people of Aldershot are going to have to make that decision.

Ward 2 candidates:

The seat is open. Councillor Lisa Kearns has thrown her hat into the ring and wants to be Mayor.

Masha Brar, a lawyer trained in India, has focused her practice on Wills and Estates, along with some real estate. As the campaigns evolve, we will learn more about what she has to offer.

Sean Campbell and Gary Car each bring strength to their campaigns.  Carr has a very high profile, will it make a different?   As Regional Chair, he has done a decent job.  His service as an MPP matters but Carr is fooling himself if he thinks he can glide into office based on his Regional Chairmanship.  Few people know all that much about the Region.

Sean Campbell is one of the founders of Burlington Helping Burlington, a large, very effective community organization that has the troops to mount a strong door-to-door campaign.   This could be a very interesting campaign; one to watch.

Ward 3 candidates:

Tony Brecknock is new to the municipal sector.  He has an interesting story to tell about what got him to Canada and what drew him to Burlington.

Kyle Hutton has a lot of on-the-ground election experience and knows how politics works. He is under 40, a demographic that hasn’t been represented in Burlington as long as I have been tracking city councils.

Katey Moore, a Lowville resident who is new to municipal politics.  Certainly very personable.  It will be interesting to see what she offers.

Ward 4 candidates:

This is another ward where the sitting member has decided not to run for office for a third term. That was a good decision.

What wasn’t so good was Shawna Stolte’s decision to decide to support one of the two candidates. She liked what she saw in Chris Carter and there is much to like about him.  However, Carter has no political experience.  He is a co-founder of Burlington Dads where he has done a good job.  He has a strong marketing background and does a very interesting podcast that has a strong following.  But what does he stand for?  On that point, there isn’t much that is all that clear.

Olivia Duke ran against Shawna Stole in 2022.  Stole won the election with 3591 votes; Duke got 1748 votes. Experience.

Duke brings an impressive education that includes a deep understanding of the creation of affordable housing and the legislation surrounding that issue.

Ward 5 Candidates:

Paul Sharman has served as a City Councillor for 16 years.  He has taken very good care of his constituents.  He is seen as close to developers.  He has had a surplus in his election campaign account every year he has run for office. What will he leave in the way of a legacy? That is a challenge.

Alex Don has an impressive resume.  Practices as a lawyer who is a new parent which has kept him out of the election.  At this point there is no certainty that Don will actually run a campaign.

Ward 6 candidates:

The Ward 6 choices are a very mixed bag. One is the subject of some serious behaviour reports with the candidate threatening to sue.  Another candidate appears to be relying on a series of social media rants.  A third no one seems to know much about.  The result is the sitting member begins to look pretty good – which is really a stretch.

July and August will see the candidates knocking on doors, holding meetings, and asking for support.

The real race will begin just after Labour Day, with seven weeks to go before ballots are cast.

Will the turnout be better than the 27.8% last time around?  Yes it was a Covid election, but that is no reason to expect at least a 50% + turnout to make the results legitimate.

Two of the candidates, Angelo Bentivegna and Robert Raday, did not provide the link to their election websites.