ELECTION NIGHT 2026: Significant change at City Hall as delayed Hamilton election results frustrate Council-watchers

City of Hamilton election results were significantly delayed on Monday night, with the first results not coming in until about two hours after polls closed at 8 p.m.

At 10:29 p.m. a tweet went out from the City of Hamilton account stating, “The City of Hamilton has experienced a delay in transferring election results from ward voting locations to City Hall. The transfer of results is now underway and the City’s website is being updated as results are received. Thank you for your patience.”

But as of 11:39 p.m., over an hour later, only 177 of the city’s 237 polls reported.

As of 12:05 a.m. that number was up to 218.

The most up to date election results can be viewed on the City of Hamilton website here.

All results below are as of 12:05 a.m. on October 27. Based current results, eight of the 15 ward seats would go to someone who isn’t the sitting councillor, with five incumbents potentially unseated and three wards open races.

WARD 1 – CHEDOKE-COOTES-WESTDALE
The ward is too close to call. With 34 of 38 polls reporting, incumbent Maureen Wilson, seeking a third term, sits at 3,843 votes (41.8%). Nathan Savelli, a community health youth worker, is second at 3,715 (40.4%).

WARD 2 – DOWNTOWN HAMILTON
With 26 of 30 polls reporting, incumbent Cameron Kroetsch, a former labour union president, appears to have won comfortably with 3,638 votes (47.0%), with registered nurse Kelly Oucharek second at 2,097 votes (27.1%).

WARD 3 – EAST HAMILTON CENTRE
With 23 of 27 polls reporting, incumbent Nrinder Nann appears to have won a third term comfortably with 4,447 votes (54.2%), with data and compliance analyst Andrew Selman second at 1,780 votes (21.7%).

WARD 4 – HAMILTON EAST
With 17 of 20 polls reporting, former Ward 2 Councillor and broadcaster Jason Farr leads with 3,468 votes (39.3%), with incumbent Tammy Hwang second at 2,868 votes (32.5%). Hwang is one of five incumbents in a losing position.

WARD 5 – HAMILTON EAST-STONEY CREEK
With 23 of 26 polls reporting, incumbent Matt Francis appears to have won easily with 7,588 votes (84.4%), with immigration consultant Juanita Maldonado second at 1,165 votes (13.0%).

WARD 6 – EAST MOUNTAIN
With 21 of 24 polls reporting, incumbent Tom Jackson, the city’s longest-serving councillor, appears to have won easily with 7,189 votes (72.1%), with trade lawyer Peter Werhun second at 1,590 votes (16.0%).

WARD 7 – CENTRAL MOUNTAIN
With 24 of 27 polls reporting, retired high school principal Mark Daly leads with 4,943 votes (42.2%), with incumbent Esther Pauls second at 4,432 votes (37.8%).

WARD 8 – WEST/CENTRAL MOUNTAIN
In one of three open seats, with 19 of 24 polls reporting, Mohawk College professor and school trustee Dawn Danko appears to have won comfortably with 3,533 votes (45.6%). Former Ward 8 councillor Terry Whitehead is second at 1,789 votes (23.1%). The ward was previously John-Paul Danko’s seat and, most recently, Rob Cooper’s, who left it to run for mayor.

WARD 9 – UPPER STONEY CREEK
With 18 of 22 polls reporting, government relations advisor Jonathan Stathakos holds a narrow lead with 3,521 votes (39.1%), with incumbent Brad Clark, a former provincial cabinet minister, close behind at 3,321 votes (36.9%).

WARD 10 – STONEY CREEK-FRUITLAND-WINONA
With 20 of 23 polls reporting, business strategist Nicole Trombetta and employment lawyer Ivan Luksic are in a tight race for the open seat. Trombetta has 3,052 votes (28.6%) and Luksic has 2,996 votes (28.1%), a gap of just 56 votes. The ward was previously represented by Jeff Beattie before he moved on to provincial politics.

WARD 11 – GLANBROOK-BINBROOK-MOUNT HOPE
With 16 of 20 polls reporting, incumbent Mark Tadeson appears to have won a second term easily with 6,386 votes (81.7%), with truck and coach technician Damon Mombourquette second at 852 votes (10.9%).

WARD 12 – ANCASTER-WEST FLAMBOROUGH
With 22 of 26 polls reporting, Fred Bennink, a sign company owner and former vice-chair of the police services board, appears to have unseated incumbent Craig Cassar, leading 7,998 votes (58.4%) to 5,702 (41.6%).

WARD 13 – DUNDAS-CENTRAL FLAMBOROUGH
With 24 of 34 polls reporting, retired school principal Rick Kunc appears to have won comfortably with 7,257 votes (60.7%). Ministry of Health policy advisor Spencer Naylor is second at 1,938 votes (16.2%), with arts producer Loren Lieberman just three votes behind him at 1,935 (16.2%). The seat was previously held by Alex Wilson, who announced that he would not run again.

WARD 14 – WEST MOUNTAIN
With 25 of 28 polls reporting, incumbent Mike Spadafora appears to have won comfortably with 6,310 votes (67.1%) over Kojo Damptey, former director of the Hamilton Centre for Civic Inclusion, at 3,099 votes (32.9%).

WARD 15 – EAST FLAMBOROUGH-WATERDOWN
With 18 of 22 polls reporting, consultancy founder Colleen Stewart appears to have unseated incumbent Ted McMeekin, a former MPP and Flamborough mayor, leading with 4,080 votes (47.8%) to McMeekin’s 2,660 (31.2%).