Hamilton’s municipal election will be held on Oct. 26, 2026, and four candidates are registered to run for Ward 7 City Councillor on the Central Mountain: Heather Beale, Mark Daly, Gordon Leslie, and Esther Pauls.
ESTHER PAULS (INCUMBENT)
Campaign Email: esther_pauls@icloud.com
Campaign Website: www.reelectestherpauls.com
Esther Pauls was first elected as a Hamilton City Councillor in 2018.
She was born in Sicily and immigrated to Canada in 1963.
From 1973 to 1988, she worked at the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) while raising four sons with her husband.
She attended Mohawk College to obtain a Registered Insurance Brokers of Ontario (RIBO) license.
She opened a running store called Runner’s Den with her husband in 1996.
She has competed in nine Ironman competitions, over 20 marathons, and over 30 half-marathons.
During this term of Council, Pauls voted in favour of 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.
She also voted in favour of increasing Hamilton property taxes by 5.85 per cent in 2023 and increasing Hamilton property taxes by 5.79 per cent in 2024.
She voted against the Encampment Protocol, the Vacant Unit Tax, and the Barton-Tiffany tiny shelter project.
More details on her voting record can be viewed on a new website called www.hamiltoncouncilwatch.ca.
HEATHER BEALE
Campaign Email: heather@heatherbeale.ca
Campaign Website: www.heatherbeale.ca
Heather Beale has lived in Hamilton since 1998 and was most recently a Learning and Development Specialist at Mohawk College.
She has studied at Mohawk College and McMaster University and her work experience includes roles at Workers Arts and Heritage Centre, the Hamilton Conservatory for the Arts, Orlick Industries, Ltd., and Sonic Unyon Records.
Beale is the former Chair of the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra and serves on the Board of Directors for the Incite Foundation for the Arts.
Her campaign literature states that she wants to create “a community for everyone” by providing “accessible places to live, move, and connect at every stage of life.”
MARK DALY
Campaign Email: mark@markdalyward7.ca
Campaign Website: www.markdalyward7.ca
Mark Daly is a lifelong Hamiltonian who has lived in Ward 7 since 1995. He spent 34 years in education, including 14 years as a secondary school principal at St. Jean de Brebeuf Catholic Secondary School and Cathedral Catholic Secondary School.
His campaign is focused on three priorities: fixing roads, controlling taxes, and restoring accountability.
His website specifically notes that Pauls voted in favour of a 5.85 per cent property tax increase in 2023 and a 5.79 per cent increase in 2024 and that he would not support tax increases above inflation.
GORDON LESLIE
Campaign Email: gingerooo69@gmail.com
Campaign Website: Not Available at Publish Date
The Hamilton Independent was unable to confirm the identity of the candidate.
ELECTORAL HISTORY
2010 Election: Scott Duvall ran and won for the second time with 57.61 per cent of the vote (9,027 votes), with Trevor Pettit in second.
2014 Election: Scott Duvall won re-election with 79.12 per cent of the vote (9,956 votes), with Keith Beck in second.
2016 By-Election: After Duvall was elected as Member of Parliament for the NDP on Hamilton Mountain, Donna Skelly won a by-election with 19.59 per cent of the vote (1,967 votes), with John-Paul Danko in second with 18.67 per cent (1,875 votes).
2018 Election: After Donna Skelly was elected as Member of Provincial Parliament for the Ontario PC Party in Flamborough–Glanbrook, Esther Pauls won election with 25 per cent of the vote (3,016 votes), with Geraldine McMullen second with 15.57 per cent (1,878 votes).
2022 Election: Scott Duvall attempted a political comeback in the ward, but lost out to Esther Pauls in a two-candidate race. Pauls earned 50.91 per cent of the vote (6,043 votes), while Duvall earned 49.09 per cent (5,826 votes).
WARD DESCRIPTION
As of the 2021 census, the ward had 48,565 residents.
Ward 7 is the Central Mountain and includes neighbourhoods such as Inch Park, Eastmount, Raleigh, Hill Park, Burkholme, Macassa, Bruleville, Thorner, Lawfield, Crerar, Rushdale, Barnstown, Butler, and Chappel.
It is bordered by the Escarpment to the north, the hydro corridor south of Rymal Road to the south, Upper Wellington to the west, and Upper Gage (between the Escarpment and the LINC) and Upper Sherman (between the LINC and the hydro corridor) to the east.
Ward 7 is home to Lime Ridge Mall, the Sackville Hill Senior’s Centre and the Juravinski Cancer Centre.
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.
