The upcoming municipal election is currently scheduled for Monday, October 26, 2026, with residents getting the chance to cast their vote for who they’d like to see as their next mayor, councillor, and school board trustee.
Below, you’ll find a full list of candidates running in every municipality and ward across Waterloo Region.
While this list will work to provide residents with a glimpse of the full election landscape in their local ridings, research should still be independently conducted on each individual to form a proper perspective of the candidates and their platforms.
What you need to know:
One person will be elected to each role, unless otherwise specified.
Regional Council is made up of 16 total members, consisting of eight elected councillors (2 in Waterloo, 4 in Kitchener, 2 in Cambridge), a regional chair, as well as the mayors of each city and local township.
Some candidates listed have already been ‘Acclaimed,’ meaning they are the sole person registered as a candidate in their riding and are thereby considered to be elected to the role.
The full list of candidates running includes:
Waterloo
Joel Botter
Sandra Hanmer
Hans Roach
Abdullah
(2 to be selected)
Jim Erb
Soo Bok Lee
Kitchener
Nate Bahlbi
Muhammad Miqdad Hudda
Danielle Rose
Navjot Sandhu
(4 to be selected)
Ed Edwards
Eve Elizabeth Simson
Michael Wisniewski
Cambridge
Ryan Bolender
Tony Chaves
Scott Hamilton
Ihtsham Haq
Jan Liggett
Ken Roche
Brian Kennedy
Shahzada Jalal Khan
Kiran Abid
Corey Kimpson
Shaun Spalding
Ross Earnshaw
Jawad Ahmad Malik
David O’Hara
Chris Alward
Cody Botelho
Nicholas Ermeta
George Fiddick
Arpan Pandit
Wilmot
Alan Dicknoether
Lucy Lantz
Michael Roth
Woolwich
(2 to be selected)
Paula Ferguson
Jason Godglick
Tony Stevens
Carlene Hawley
Steven Haase
Sheryl Tilley
North Dumfries
Derrick Ostner
Alida Wilms (Acclaimed)
Jonathan Bos
Barb Elliott
School Trustees
Waterloo Region District School Board (English, Public)
- Cristina Bairos Fernandes
- Brian Best
- Brian Bourke
- Karen Coviello
- Clinton Heffernan
- Geoff Horsman
- Kathleen Woodcock
Waterloo Catholic District School Board (English, Separate)
- Anna Aceto-Guerin
- Linda Cuff
- Norman J. Damaren
- Conrad Stanley
Conseil scolaire Viamonde (French, Public)
- Rachid Barrima (Acclaimed)
Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir (French, Separate)
- Dorothée Petit-Pas (Acclaimed)
Waterloo Region District School Board (English, Public)
- Marjorie A. Brown
- Mark Cairns
- Uche Michael Emelife
- Brent Hutzal
- Ahmed Kassad
- Mandy Kaur
- Sajid Mohamed Farooq Kolsawala
- Julia Malott
- Rachel McQuail
- Baboucarr Saidy
- Ibtissam Soliman
- Narine Dat Sookram
- Sara Taghizadeh-Heroux
Waterloo Catholic District School Board (English, Separate)
- Harriet Cullen
- Janice Fiaschetti
- Ruthann Risher
- Jess Hutton
- Suzanne Kearns
- Renée Kraft
- Josh Rivers
- Sandra Wojcik
Conseil scolaire Viamonde (French, Public)
- Rachid Barrima (Acclaimed)
Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir (French, Separate)
- Dorothée Petit-Pas (Acclaimed)
Waterloo Region District School Board (English, Public)
- Shannon Adshade
- Syed Ahmed
- Naeem Awan
- John J. Dideczek
- Carla Johnson
- Richard Pfeifle
- Riaz Sial
- Cindy Watson
Waterloo Catholic District School Board (English, Separate)
- Jennifer Allore
- Winston Darryl Francis
- Marisa Phillips
- Robert Francis Sikora
- Andrew Smutniak
Conseil scolaire Viamonde (French, Public)
- Rachid Barrima (Acclaimed)
Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir (French, Separate)
- Dorothée Petit-Pas (Acclaimed)
Waterloo Region District School Board (English, Public)
- Jen Burkholder
- Ashley Gilbert
- Hawley Carlene
Waterloo Catholic District School Board (English, Separate)
- Anna Aceto-Guerin
- Linda Cuff
- Norman J. Damaren
- Conrad Stanley
Conseil scolaire Viamonde (French, Public)
- Rachid Barrima (Acclaimed)
Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir (French, Separate)
- Dorothée Petit-Pas (Acclaimed)
Waterloo Region District School Board (English, Public)
- Cristina Bairos Fernandes
- Brian Best
- Brian Bourke
- Karen Coviello
- Clinton Heffernan
- Geoff Horsman
- Kathleen Woodcock
Waterloo Catholic District School Board (English, Separate)
- Harriet Cullen
- Janice Fiaschetti
- Ruthann Fisher
- Jess Hutton
- Suzanne Kearns
- Renée Kraft
- Josh Rivers
- Sandra Wojcik
Conseil scolaire Viamonde (French, Public)
- Rachid Barrima (Acclaimed)
Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir (French, Separate)
- Dorothée Petit-Pas (Acclaimed)
Waterloo Region District School Board (English, Public)
- Jen Burkholder
- Ashley Gilbert
- Carlene Hawley
Waterloo Catholic District School Board (English, Separate)
- Anna Aceto-Guerin
- Linda Cuff
- Norman J. Damaren
- Conrad Stanley
Conseil scolaire Viamonde (French, Public)
- Rachid Barrima (Acclaimed)
Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir (French, Separate)
- Dorothée Petit-Pas (Acclaimed)
Waterloo Region District School Board (English, Public)
- Shannon Adshade
- Syed Ahmed
- Naeem Awan
- John J. Dideczek
- Carla Johnson
- Richard Pfeifle
- Riaz Sial
- Cindy Watson
Waterloo Catholic District School Board (English, Separate)
- Jennifer Allore
- Winston Darryl Francis
- Marisa Phillips
- Robert Francis Sikora
- Andrew Smutniak
Conseil scolaire Viamonde (French, Public)
- Rachid Barrima (Acclaimed)
Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir (French, Separate)
- Dorothée Petit-Pas (Acclaimed)
Region of Waterloo
Following the adoption of the Better Regional Governance Act, 2026, on May 7, 2026 the Regional Chair is now a Provincially appointed position and will not appear on the ballot. No nominations for this position may be filed or accepted. Any nominations received prior to the passing of the Act are deemed withdrawn.
