Sept. 17
Public mayoral debate, 7:15 p.m., St. Christopher’s Church.
2026 municipal election
Burlington Election 2026: Compare the mayoral candidates
Five names are on the official mayor list. Only three have published enough to compare in detail.
Direct answer
The official 2026 mayor candidates are Marianne Meed Ward, Lisa Kearns, Rory Nisan, Keith Demoe and Yugalkeesor Ramdhonee. Meed Ward is running on continuity and funded services. Kearns and Nisan want slower city spending growth and less use of extra mayoral power. Ramdhonee focuses on tax transparency and seniors. No detailed 2026 platform for Demoe has been found. Online voting starts Oct. 14. Election Day is Oct. 26.
By Burlington News Staff · Published Aug. 26, 2026 · Updated Aug. 26, 2026
What happened
Nominations closed. The City of Burlington’s official candidate list now has five mayor names. This page puts every official candidate on one grid. Pairwise detail still lives on head-to-head. Full profiles stay on the election guide.
The candidates
| Candidate | Current role | Core pitch |
|---|---|---|
| Marianne Meed Ward | Mayor since 2018 | Keep the post-2018 growth plan and keep paying for services already in place. |
| Lisa Kearns | Ward 2 councillor since 2018 | Slow spending growth, expand housing choice and treat gridlock as urgent. |
| Rory Nisan | Ward 3 councillor since 2018 | Hold down spending and put affordability first. |
| Keith Demoe | Registered candidate; not on council | No detailed 2026 platform found yet. |
| Yugalkeesor Ramdhonee | Registered candidate; not on council | Clearer tax information, seniors programs and road safety. |
What the numbers and statements show
| Issue | Meed Ward | Kearns | Nisan | Demoe | Ramdhonee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taxes & spending | Keep funding services and infrastructure, even if the annual increase is larger. | Slow spending growth and show clearer value before adding permanent costs. | Slow city spending and delay lower-priority projects. | No detailed tax plan found. | Show residents where tax dollars go before future increases. |
| Housing | Keep adding housing near GO stations and speed approvals. | Allow more housing types and cut delays, with neighbourhood impacts in view. | Tie housing growth to affordability and city costs. Delivery plan still thin. | No detailed housing plan found. | Create more options for people being priced out. Tools not specified. |
| Development | Keep the largest new projects near GO stations; protect the waterfront and Greenbelt. | Allow more housing while working earlier with residents and developers. | Support growth that keeps quality of life and costs manageable. | No detailed development plan found. | Support growth that keeps services manageable. Limits not specified. |
| Traffic & transit | Keep investing across roads, transit, walking and cycling. | Treat gridlock more urgently and make targeted changes sooner. | Focus on practical transportation fixes residents can notice. | No detailed transportation plan found. | Improve road and sidewalk safety. Broader congestion plan not published. |
| Public safety | No sourced 2026 public-safety platform statement located. | No sourced 2026 public-safety platform statement located. | No sourced 2026 public-safety platform statement located. | No sourced 2026 public-safety platform statement located. | Road and sidewalk safety is the public-safety language found so far. |
| Data centre | Voted for clearer intergovernmental rules. Direct position on 3110 South Service Road still needed. | Same council vote for clearer rules. Direct site position still needed. | Same council vote for clearer rules. Direct site position still needed. | No verified public position found. | No verified public position found. |
Spending is grouped with taxes because that is how the campaigns are arguing the bill. Public safety is included because voters ask. Where no sourced statement exists, the cell says so.
Major differences
- Continuity versus a slower budget: Meed Ward argues delaying repairs costs more later. Kearns and Nisan say the recent increases need a harder value test.
- Mayoral power: Kearns says she would lead without relying on Strong Mayor tools. Nisan wants more decisions left with council. Meed Ward says she has avoided the most controversial veto-style tools.
- Who has a record to inspect: Three candidates have sat on this council. Two have not. Demoe’s last public electoral record is a 2022 Ward 2 result: 653 votes, 10.53%.
Unanswered questions
- Meed Ward: What did residents get for recent tax increases, and what changes in a third term?
- Kearns: What would she cut, delay or redesign, and how much would that save?
- Nisan: How would infrastructure stay funded if spending grows more slowly?
- Demoe: Where can voters read any 2026 platform?
- Ramdhonee: What would the seniors and housing proposals cost, and which government pays?
- All five: What would they do about Halton-level crime trends the mayor does not control?
Voting dates
Oct. 14–23
Online voting, 8 a.m. Oct. 14 to 6 p.m. Oct. 23.
Oct. 17 and 20
Advance polls at any of Burlington’s three advance-poll locations.
Oct. 26
Election Day, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Official voting informationOfficial candidate listWhat ward am I in?Compare two candidates
Why it matters in Burlington
The mayor proposes the budget and now holds extra Strong Mayor powers. Council still votes on most final decisions. Halton Region and the school boards set other parts of the tax bill. A campaign promise is not a completed outcome.
Sources
- City of Burlington official candidate list
- City of Burlington how to vote
- Marianne Meed Ward campaign
- Lisa Kearns campaign
- Rory Nisan campaign
- Yugalkeesor Ramdhonee questionnaire
- 2022 certified election results
Updated Aug. 26, 2026. Candidate statements can change after this page is published.