If there is to be a contested election for Mayor we will see just what Meed Ward is made of; it will be an messy, brutal event.

By Pepper Parr

March 21st, 2026

BURLINGTON, ON

The first solid clue that there was going to be a race for the office of Mayor of Burlington next October was when Mayor Meed Ward totally ignored any mention of Ward 2 Councillor Lisa Kearns during the Chamber of Commerce State of the City occasion at the Convention Centre.

Lisa Kearns is working the room at the State of the City event.

Kearns, decked out in clothing appropriate for a Mayor was networking the room.

There were signs that the two women were going to have a go at it during council meetings.  Close to catfights on occasion.

Kearns is good with numbers; she understands finance.  Meed Ward has never understood numbers.  During her recent town hall-style meetings, she made a point of having Councillor Sharman beside her to explain what the numbers meant

During those town hall-type meetings, Kearns had the cheek to show up and ask questions.  Something that appeared to startle the Mayor.

Photo ops appear to be political coinage in Burlington. Enough of them can actually get you elected. Citizens seem content with that.

Is Kearns going to run for the Office of Mayor?  Probably.  She will announce when she is ready to announce.  In the meantime, she will serve as a ward Councillor and probably continue with the photo ops.

When asked if she would be running for Mayor Meed Ward demurred and said she didn’t have anything to say at the time.  Is she “considering her options”?  Could be – there aren’t that many options available to her.

Marianne Meed Ward was just a citizen when this picture was taken. She went on to serve as a Councillor for two terms and was elected Mayor in 2018.

Will Meed Ward wait until she has a clearer sense as to which way the wind is blowing – and if the prospects look weak bow out saying she is leaving the city in better shape than it was when she was elected Mayor in 2018?

 Meed Ward was first elected as a city Councillor for Ward 2 in 2010.  She was a brilliant Councillor – she taught her fellow Councillors to understand what the words transparency and accountability meant.

Councillors Craven, Lancaster and Sharman made her life very difficult for the two terms she served as a member of Council.

When the Chain of office was draped around her neck during the swearing-in – we began to see a different Marianne Meed Ward.  Power does reveal.

Meed Ward still has her supporters, but not as many as she had in 2028.

The 2022 COVID election almost didn’t count.  The public was in a close to survival mode; wearing masks, which Meed Ward didn’t think were necessary at first.

When it became clear that the virus was airborne, Marianne Meed Ward began to wear a mask.

When it became clear that the virus was airborne, she began to wear a mask.

People stayed home, went out only if they had to.

If there is to be a contested election for Mayor we will see just what Meed Ward is made of.

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