Hamilton’s municipal election will be held on Oct. 26, 2026, and three candidates are registered to run for Ward 5 City Councillor in Hamilton East–Stoney Creek: Matt Francis, Ahmad Khan, and Juanita Maldonado.
MATT FRANCIS (INCUMBENT)
Campaign Email: mattfrancisward5@gmail.com
Campaign Website: Not Available at Publish Date
Matt Francis grew up on the Beach Strip, used to live in the Davis Creek area, but now says he is a homeowner “in historic Downtown Stoney Creek with his wife and two children.”
He worked for the City of Hamilton in the office of the city clerk and has a history campaigning for the Liberal Party of Canada with former Member of Parliament Chad Collins.
Francis was elected in the 2022 municipal election in his first run for City Council after incumbent Chad Collins retired.
During this term of Council, Francis voted in favour of restricting short-term rentals to a person’s primary residence, rescinding the new hire COVID vaccination mandate, police budget increases, ending the city poet program in order to save money amid a 5.6 per cent property tax increase, and pausing AI data centre applications for one year.
He voted against increasing Hamilton property taxes by 5.85 per cent in 2023, increasing Hamilton property taxes by 5.79 per cent in 2024, the rain tax stormwater fee program, the Encampment Protocol, the Vacant Unit Tax, and the Barton-Tiffany tiny shelter project.
More details on his voting record can be viewed on a new website called www.hamiltoncouncilwatch.ca.
AHMAD KHAN
Campaign Email: ahmadkhanward5@gmail.com
Campaign Website: Not Available at Publish Date
The Hamilton Independent was unable to confirm the identity of the candidate.
JUANITA MALDONADO
Campaign Email: newwardfive@gmail.com
Campaign Website: Not Available at Publish Date
Juanita Maldonado served as the assistant to former Hamilton East–Stoney Creek Member of Parliament Wayne Marston and is currently a Canadian immigration consultant and small business owner.
She also ran with the Ontario NDP in the 2007 provincial election in the riding of Ancaster–Dundas–Flamborough–Westdale under leader Howard Hampton.
She ran against Chad Collins in the 2018 Hamilton municipal election in Ward 5, finishing second out of three candidates with 14.16 per cent of the vote (1,340 votes), compared to Collins’ 80.38 per cent (7,596 votes).
ELECTORAL HISTORY
2010 Election: Chad Collins, who had served on Hamilton City Council since 1994, won re-election with 66.92 per cent of the vote (6,876 votes), with Frank Rukavina in second.
2014 Election: Chad Collins won re-election with 71.58 per cent of the vote (6,138 votes), with David Brown in second.
2018 Election: Chad Collins was re-elected with 80.38 per cent of the vote (7,596 votes), with Juanita Maldonado in second.
2022 Election: Matt Francis was elected with 43.61 per cent of the vote (4,239 votes), with Lynda Lukasik in second.
WARD DESCRIPTION
As of the 2021 census, the ward had 43,650 residents.
Ward 5 is Hamilton East–Stoney Creek and includes neighbourhoods such as the Beach Strip, Nashdale, Lakely, Grayside, Riverdale, Kentley, Corman, Greenford, Red Hill, Downtown Stoney Creek, Vincent, and Gershome.
It is bordered by the Escarpment to the south, Hamilton Harbour to the north, the Red Hill Valley Parkway to the west, and Gray Road to the east.
Ward 5 is home to St. Joseph’s Urgent Care Centre, Glendale Golf and Country Club, Confederation Park, Battlefield Park, Eastgate Square, and Confederation GO.
Based in Hamilton, he reaches hundreds of thousands of people monthly on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. He has been published in The Hamilton Spectator, Stoney Creek News, and Bay Observer. He has also been a segment host with Cable 14 Hamilton. In 2017, he received the Chancellor Full Tuition Scholarship from the University of Ottawa (BA, 2022). He has also received the Governor General’s Academic Medal. He formerly worked in a non-partisan role on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
