The former leader of the Ontario New Democratic Party (NDP) made the official announcement Tuesday morning that she will be stepping down as MPP for Hamilton Center to enter the mayoral race. “The work I’ve done all my life has been for Hamiltonians and this would be a really exciting time to be a part of realizing the great opportunities that lie ahead,” she told CBC Hamilton in an interview Monday. of the public announcement. Horwath joins three others in the race for the seat: former mayor Bob Bratina, political newcomer Keanin Loomis and labor advocate Ejaz Butt. Current Mayor Fred Eisenberger announced last month that he will not seek re-election. “Like most Hamiltonians, I’m a fighter. I don’t quit until the job’s done and I’m also prepared to do the hard work,” Horwath said. Horwath, born and raised in the city, was a Ward 2 councilor from 1997 to 2004 before becoming Hamilton East MPP for the NDP. In 2007, he became MPP for Hamilton Center and eventually leader of the Ontario NDP. During her tenure as leader, she helped the NDP transition from unofficial party status to official opposition twice. The party won 40 seats in 2018, but in the recent elections in June that number was reduced to 31. She announced her resignation as party leader on the evening of June 2, as soon as the results were in. In the weeks that followed, speculation that he might run for mayor grew. “At this point in time, the best opportunity for me to work on behalf of the people of Hamilton Center and the entire city is as mayor … the work I can do will be much more impactful,” he said.
Horwath says new political ideas will come
Horwath did not elaborate on specific policies or actions she would take as mayor, saying she is in the “visioning” stage of her campaign and will hear more from residents as a next step. When asked what he saw as the top three issues for city residents, he said “that’s part of the discussions I’ll be having in the coming weeks.” However, he shared thoughts on a range of topics, from road safety to climate change to the Commonwealth Games bid. Horwath said she doesn’t want to expand the city’s urban boundaries and wants to make sure the city continues to grow without losing the “unique character” of the communities within Hamilton. “Growth doesn’t pay for itself and we also know that we have a significant infrastructure deficit in our city and the more you expand … you’re just adding more and more to that infrastructure deficit,” he said. He also said that housing zoning should focus on meeting people’s needs rather than simply increasing the number of units. Horwath didn’t share her view on the city’s approach to the encampments, which have included tearing down tents across the city, but said there needs to be “collaboration” with various levels of government and community agencies for more support on sometimes-related issues. such as addictions and mental health. Horwath said she sees road safety as a key issue in this election and praised some of the city’s recent efforts to improve safety in line with the Complete Streets approach. “But we also need to work on raising awareness among drivers… about the car and what it can do to harm other road users,” he said. “We need to remind people that driving is a responsibility and not just a luxury.” Andrea Horwath said she wants to keep the city’s city limits, something council voted on in late 2021. (Hugo Levesque/CBC) Horwath added that greater use of public transit, especially with the development of the light rail transit (LRT) line, will help ease traffic on the roads. He would not say whether he thinks the district assessment — which sees residents pay certain taxes only for the level of services they receive in their district — should be eliminated, saying only that it should be a community discussion. When it comes to climate action, Horwath said the city needs to make all of its decisions through a climate lens instead of a separate department or priority. On indigenous reconciliation, Horwath said consultation with indigenous groups should be proactive and happen as early as possible in any project or discussion. When it came to the future of the John A. Macdonald statue, which was toppled last summer, she said it wasn’t her decision to make, but one the community should lead. When asked about tackling local crime, Horwath said both policing and supporting vulnerable young people were important and praised initiatives such as COAST, which combines police with social services. While he said it was important to allow community services to help manage mental health crises in the community, he stopped short of saying this would cause a change in police funding. “I don’t know if it’s about increasing or decreasing budgets … it’s about the people who need the services and how to prevent the services from being outsourced to an agency that doesn’t have that mandate,” he said. he said. Regarding the bid for Hamilton to host the Commonwealth Games in 2030, Horwath said hosting such an event could bring a lot of positives to the city’s “sports fans” and potentially help with other issues in the city. “What I would like to hope is that there are positives that come as a result of hosting,” he said.
The outgoing mayor and councilman are endorsing Horwath
Mayor Fred Eisenberger, who is not running for re-election, previously said he supports Horwath. Ward 4 Coun. Sam Merulla, who is also not running for re-election, worked with Horwath between 2000 and 2004, when both were city councilmen. She said Monday that he encouraged her to run. Sam Merulla is a councilor for Hamilton Ward 4 (east end). He supports Horwath’s bid for mayor. (Samantha Craggs/CBC) “More than ever, we need a strong person with the experience, strength and connections at all levels of government to get the job done,” Merulla wrote in an email to the CBC. “Being mayor is not an entry-level position … Andrea was there with me at the beginning of the renaissance in this city.” Merulla said Horwath helped create the Business Tax Abatement Program (now called the Business Retention and Expansion Plan), the Downtown Residential Conversion/Renovation Program and the Environmental Restoration and Site Improvement Community Improvement Plan.
The mayoral race will not be a cakewalk.
Karen Byrd, a political science professor at McMaster University, said Horwath’s entry into the mayoral race shakes things up, noting there are only two “serious” candidates in Bratina and Loomis. Bird said Horwath would have some advantages in the race, including name recognition and a “real positive relationship with Hamilton”. “She’s well-known, she’s got a lot of experience, she’s a serious candidate, and people will be interested in her for that reason,” Bird said of Horwath. Although Bird — whose work focuses on the political representation of women and marginalized groups — said Horwath will likely have to account for the gender bias of some voters. Karen Bird is a professor of political science at McMaster University whose work focuses on the political representation of women and marginalized groups. (Submitted by Karen Bird) “It’s, unfortunately, a persistent issue, so it could be an obstacle for Andrea and in general for women running for mayor,” she said. “Yes, he has a shot, but it’s no cakewalk.” In the city’s 175 years, it has never once had a woman as mayor. Bird said Horwath is an “extremely talented” politician, but noted that Horwath’s unsuccessful bid to become Ontario premier could hurt her. “A lot of people might see it not as part of a change, but as part of a story as something we’ve tried before,” Bird said. “She may also be seen as someone who has not been successful at the provincial level.”
