Does Your Ward Councillor Candidate Live in the Ward? We Asked. See the Results.

One of the most common questions voters ask during municipal elections is whether a candidate for Ward Councillor lives in the ward they are seeking to represent.

Ontario law does not require a candidate to reside in the ward they are contesting. Nevertheless, many voters consider this information when deciding how to cast their ballot.

Accordingly, The Hamiltonian invited every Ward Councillor candidate with a publicly available email address to answer one simple question:

Do you live in the ward you are seeking to represent?

Candidates were asked to answer Yes or No and were invited, if they wished, to include a brief statement explaining their answer.

Election Snapshot (Ward Councillor Candidates)

Category	Total
Candidates Contacted	46
Responses Received	27
Yes	23
No	4

The majority of candidates who responded indicated they live in the ward they are seeking to represent. Four candidates advised they do not currently reside in the ward they seek to represent and have provided their comments below.

Legend

✅ YES — Candidate states they live in the ward they are seeking to represent.

❌ NO — Candidate states they do not currently live in the ward they are seeking to represent.

Ward Roll-Up

Ward	Responses	Yes	No
1	0	0	0
2	3	3	0
3	5	5	0
4	2	0	2
5	0	0	0
6	1	1	0
7	2	1	1
8	1	1	0
9	4	4	0
10	0	0	0
11	0	0	0
12	1	1	0
13	2	2	0
14	1	1	0
15	5	4	1

Quick Reference

Ward	Candidate	Lives in Ward
2	Cameron Kroetsch	✅ Yes
2	Kelly Oucharek	✅ Yes
2	Tony Sciara	✅ Yes
3	Andrew Selman	✅ Yes
3	Christine Cayuga	✅ Yes
3	Christopher De Melo	✅ Yes
3	Graham Schreiber	✅ Yes
3	Kristeen Sprague	✅ Yes
4	Jason Farr	❌ No
4	Tammy Hwang	❌ No
6	Peter Werhun	✅ Yes
7	Esther Pauls	❌ No
7	Mark Daly	✅ Yes
8	Dawn Danko	✅ Yes
9	Abhijeet Gill	✅ Yes
9	Brad Stapleton	✅ Yes
9	Eileen Walker	✅ Yes
9	Jonathan Stathakos	✅ Yes
12	Fred Bennink	✅ Yes
13	Loren Lieberman	✅ Yes
13	Rick Kunc	✅ Yes
14	Kojo Damptey	✅ Yes
15	Chase Alford	✅ Yes
15	Colleen Stewart	✅ Yes
15	Jeff Yaeger	✅ Yes
15	Ted McMeekin	❌ No
15	Zac Wrobel	✅ Yes

Full Candidate Responses

Ward 2

Cameron Kroetsch

Lives in the Ward: ✅ YES

Every candidate must provide their legal home address when they register. All registration forms are available for public inspection through the Office of the City Clerk at Hamilton City Hall upon request. I believe it is important for journalists to verify this information independently rather than rely solely on candidates' declarations.

Kelly Oucharek

Lives in the Ward: ✅ YES

I have lived in Ward 2, and more specifically within four blocks, for most of my life—growing up in the Jamesville neighbourhood and purchasing my own home in the North End at the age of 20 .

It is important to live within your ward so you can experience day-to-day life the  way your residents and local businesses do.

I also think it is important for candidates to be honest about where they live when they are campaigning door to door.

Tony Sciara

Lives in the Ward: ✅ YES

I'm a North Ender—born and raised. Hamilton gave me life.

The North End taught me loyalty, hard work, and how to stand up for my community.

Vote Sciara. Together, let's move Hamilton forward!

Ward 3

Andrew Selman

Lives in the Ward: ✅ YES

Living in the ward you represent is critically important and has always been a personal deciding factor for me as a voter.

Living in Ward 3 allows us to experience the parks, streets, and community every day, giving us the opportunity to see what is working and what needs fixing .

Our family chose to live in Ward 3 because of this incredible community, and it would be an honour to represent it.

Christine Cayuga

Lives in the Ward: ✅ YES

I am proud to call Ward 3 home, having lived in Ward 3 for 15 years and now in the industrial area for more than four years.

Living here has given me a firsthand understanding of the challenges and opportunities our residents face every day.

That local experience, combined with my commitment to accountability, respect, and strong representation, is why I am running to be your Ward 3 Councillor.

Christopher De Melo

Lives in the Ward: ✅ YES

I believe it's important to live in the ward you represent because it brings you closer to the plight and issues that face constituents.

It means you are invested in the community and want to make it better  for those you know, but also for those you'll never meet.

When we moved to Hamilton, we had options, but my wife and I fell in love with Ward 3. It's working-class, honest, and worth fighting for.

Graham Schreiber

Lives in the Ward: ✅ YES

One cannot represent anything without lived familiarity, and I relate to those who have pride in their appearance and community and will be a steward of recovery to those struggling through a philanthropic "hand up."

On LinkedIn I have begun marketing #Ward3 as open for business, primarily with developers, so after the election I am prepared with REIT offerings to builders to remove and replace dangerous and decaying buildings with affordable housing and commercial spaces.

Qualification statement: As some ACORN members are not aware of each level of government's responsibilities,Affordable within the jurisdiction & venue of Ward Councillor. For those unaware, it's the financial obligation of the Provincial Government to fund subsidized housing , for those in need , incorporated with the ODSP client base. 

I do not communicate in secrecy; I communicate exclusively on Facebook or LinkedIn, in the public realm, and welcome conversation, not hecklers.

Kristeen Sprague

Lives in the Ward: ✅ YES

I live in ward three yes, I am running for the election this year. Yes, I have everything that I'm asking people for like they're asking me. Low income housing roads dart transit goes on. 

Ward 4

Jason Farr

Lives in the Ward: ❌ NO

I currently live four blocks west of Ottawa Street.

I bid on a Ward 4 home last year and just missed out. I am actively continuing my search for a home in Ward 4.

Ward 4 is home regardless. Our family bank, doctor, mechanics, rinks, grocers, restaurants, and the schools I attended—Delta, Churchill, Queen Mary, St. John's, and BR—are all in Ward 4. I was born there, raised there, raised my family there, and have always stayed close by.

Tammy Hwang

Lives in the Ward: ❌ NO

I own my house in Ward 4, where my older parents now reside, and I rent a place in Ward 6 closer to my husband's work.

I lived most of my life in Ward 4, attending elementary , middle , high school, university, and  most of my adult life in the ward.

I still spend much of my time in Ward 4—like to go to my local bank branch, to hang out with  with my sister and her kids, to care for for my parents, and just to enjoy drinking  a matcha at Coffee Brick.

Ward 6

Peter Werhun

Lives in the Ward: ✅ YES

I live in Templemead.

In a municipal election that is supposed to be non-partisan, I (generally )find it strange that people would consider running somewhere they do not live, because it should not be like a provincial or federal campaign where major parties try to have candidates in as many ridings as possible.

A municipal campaign is about community issues and representing our part of the city in Council, and it should not be an easy job. I personally believe there needs to be a compelling reason why you think  running somewhere you don't live is important—a clearly articulated connection to a community, not just the fact that it would be politically disadvantageous to try to get elected in your own ward, (because that is what people may reasonably assume otherwise.)

Ward 7

Esther Pauls

Lives in the Ward: ❌ NO

As a proud Ward 7 resident for over 40 years, my roots remain strong through my continued involvement with the many community events I attend each year as both Ward 7 Councillor and Hamilton-Mountain resident. Although I now live in Ward 8 near the Ward 7 border, my more than four-decades of Ward 7 residency coupled with my eight years as Ward 7 Councillor have given me an unmatched, street-by-street understanding of the people, neighbourhoods, culture, and priorities that make the Ward 7 community unique. I remain deeply committed to serving the ward that shaped who I am—a community that has defined my past, inspires my work today, and whose future I am determined to help build through the experience and relationships I've earned over years of dedicated service and involvement

Mark Daly

Lives in the Ward: ✅ YES

I have lived in Ward 7 since 1995, and this is the ward where my wife Rowena and I raised our 4 children. 

I chose to run in Ward 7 because it is my home, my neighbourhood, and a community I know well through my years as principal at St. Jean de Brébeuf CSS, my parish life at St Catherine of Siena Parish, and my volunteer work. 

I believe that living in this ward matters because residents deserve a councillor who experiences the same roads, services, taxes, and neighbourhood concerns they do.

Ward 8

Dawn Danko

Lives in the Ward: ✅ YES

I live in the ward I am seeking to represent (Ward 8); in fact, I live, work, and I'm raising my family here. I believe being an integral part of the community you seek to represent is important, particularly at the municipal level.  When you have real, on-the-ground experience in the ward, you can better understand specific issues and connect with residents in more authentic ways - at the store, at parks, during day-to-day life.

Ward 9

Abhijeet Gill

Lives in the Ward: ✅ YES

Brad Stapleton

Lives in the Ward: ✅ YES

It is essential a candidate running for Councillor resides in the Ward they are running for.  Living in the ward provides firsthand knowledge of what needs to be improved, protected, and prioritized, making for stronger and more accountable leadership.

Eileen Walker

Lives in the Ward: ✅ YES

Living in the ward is important because I experience firsthand both the strengths of the community and the challenges we face.  That personal investment gives me a deeper understanding of residents' priorities and strengthens my commitment to making thoughtful decisions on their behalf.

Jonathan Stathakos

Lives in the Ward: ✅ YES

Born, raised, and lived here my entire life. Proud to call Upper Stoney Creek home and own a home here in Ward 9.

Ward 12

Fred Bennink

Lives in the Ward: ✅ YES

I live in Ward 12 and have so for 35 years. I do believe it is important. I feel I have a good feel of how residents want to be represented. 

Ward 13

Loren Lieberman

Lives in the Ward: ✅ YES

Rick Kunc

Lives in the Ward: ✅ YES

Ward 14

Kojo Damptey

Lives in the Ward: ✅ YES

For Ward 14 (West Mountain), I believe we need a Councillor who lives in the Ward because we need hyper-localized responses to the needs of each neighborhood. If the Councillor doesn't live in the area/ward, they don't get to experience what constituents are going through. Which ultimately leads to having a Councillor that is out of step with the needs of the ward more often than not. 

Consequently, there is no pressure on the Councillor to follow through on constituent requests and needs since the Councillor won't be seen in the community. In this case, transparency and accountability become an afterthought. 

Finally, when a Councillor doesn't live in the ward they represent, they are actually robbing constituents of an opportunity to have a local representative from the community. In a sense, the Councillor who doesn't live in the ward they seek to represent can't even cast a vote for themselves. They literally get to represent a community they don't live in and make decisions for that community without being impacted. 

Ward 15

Chase Alford

Lives in the Ward: ✅ YES

 I believe it's extremely important for a candidate representing a ward to reside in the ward. I moved to waterdown 25 years ago, I drive these roads, walk these trails, and breath this air. Issues that affect my voters will directly affect me, and that's why I'm running for Ward 15.

Colleen Stewart

Lives in the Ward: ✅ YES

Yes - I live in the ward I am looking to represent. The concerns residents share with me are the concerns that led me to run in the first place. When a resident told me I should see a dangerous traffic situation in one of our neighborhoods, I drove less than ten minutes to see it. Living in the ward gives me a vested interest in securing a fair shake from the City of Hamilton and preserving what makes this ward extraordinary.

Jeff Yaeger

Lives in the Ward: ✅ YES

I believe that to represent my community well, I need to be part of it.  Seeing and hearing the challenges that go on every day from neighbours, and what matters to them, will direct how I will represent them.  Waterdown Matters and Flamborough Counts!

Ted McMeekin

Lives in the Ward: ❌ NO

The most important question is not where a legally qualified candidate for office lives but rather does the candidate understand local issues, is visibly engaged over time in the community, advocates on behalf of their constituents and knows and serves the Ward.

My wife, a family doctor and I both lived and worked professionally in the Ward for 35 years, raising our young family in Carlisle and Waterdown. 

I was privileged to earn the trust of to serve the people, who elected me to two-terms as Mayor of the Town of Flamborough, five terms as their MPP and most recently as the current Councillor for the Ward.”

Zac Wrobel

Lives in the Ward: ✅ YES

It matters that a councillor lives in the ward they represent, because the best way to understand residents' concerns is to share their day-to-day experience.

Driving the same roads, going to the same ball diamonds and rinks, and supporting the same local businesses gives a councillor firsthand insight into the issues that matter most.

Although not required, a councillor who lives in the ward, is also directly affected by the decisions made at City Hall and are better positioned to genuinely understand and advocate for the community's priorities.

Note: The following candidates did not have an email address available on the city's candidate website. Thus, we could not reach them: Daniel Greene, Tom Jackson, Heather Beale

The Hamiltonian thanks every candidate who participated in this project. We encourage voters to read each candidate's explanation carefully and make their own informed decision on Election Day. Please note: The Hamiltonian. apologizes for the initial version of this write up, that was up briefly. It had some errors on it that have since been corrected.