The 2026 election got underway today at city hall as prospective candidates arrived throughout the day to file their papers for mayor, city councillor and school board trustee. By the end of the day, there were seven candidates on the ballot and while only one of them were an incumbent, it doesn’t mean that they’re new faces to the Guelph political scene. Let’s look at the keeners that couldn’t wait for the campaign to begin (for real).

The first person to sign up it seems was Rebecca Adam, who came in second for the open Ward 6 seat last year to Katherine Hauser. Both Hauser and Adam secured six votes from council and then it went to a literal draw. “I’m a working parent, business leader and life-long Ward 6 resident. It’s time for responsible spending, safer communities and common sense decision making,” Adam said in a social media post announcing her run.

Slightly north in Ward 3, former Downtown Guelph Business Association executive director Marty Williams endorsed his own candidacy. Williams resigned as the head of the DGBA in December 2022 and has been largely quiet since then, but Williams’ activist roots go back to his days at the University of Guelph where he was one of the co-founders of The Peak, and president of the Central Student Association.

A little bit east of there in Ward 2, Morgan Dandie signed up for her second run at city council. Dandie, a long-time community activist and frequent council delegate, finished in seventh place in the 2022 election and also sought the vacant Ward 6 seat last year.

In Ward 1, another former candidate is giving politics another try. Mustafa Zuberi, who was the Liberal candidate in last year’s provincial election, is making a shift to municipal politics saying that he’s focusing on housing, affordability, safer neighbourhoods and better infrastructure. “We need real conversations about local affordability, real work towards building safer communities, and a belief that Ward 1 deserves better,” he added in a social media video.

As expected, Leanne Caron made her move to run for mayor official and focused on keeping toxicity and personal attacks out of this election in a post on her campaign Substack saying that “Intimidation of those running for office has no place in the upcoming election.”

“I have always enjoyed one-on-one conversations in the community in my councillor role: hearing about the impact of council decisions, or aspirational ideas from residents about building a great city,” Caron explained. “The good comes with the bad, but I have no tolerance for the ugly.”

The one new face to sign up this first day of nominations is Greg Cawsey, a teacher at John F. Ross who said on his campaign website that he’s looking for a new gig now that he’s in the “twilight” of his teaching career. “My goal is to empower the voices of my Ward 5 neighbours and fellow Guelph residents at City Hal,” he said. “This job requires first listening to their concerns and making a steadfast commitment of transparency, effective communication and plain hard work on their behalf.”

There was only one school board candidate that filed on Friday, and it was Ralf Mesenbrink, the current chair for the Upper Grand District School Board and trustee for Wards 2, 3, and 4.

Nominations for mayor, city council and the school boards will remain open until August 21.