Hamilton municipal election, 2003
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The 2003 Hamilton municipal election was held on November 10, 2003 to elect municipal officials in Hamilton, Ontario. The most high-profile contest was for the mayoral office. Candidates also campaigned for city council and for school trustee positions.
[edit] Results
| Candidate | Total votes | % of total votes |
|---|---|---|
| Larry DiIanni | 70,539 | 50.92 |
| David Christopherson | 54,298 | 39.20 |
| Dick Wildeman | 4,462 | 3.22 |
| Michael Peters | 3,270 | 2.36 |
| Tom Murray | 2,881 | 2.08 |
| Michael James Baldasaro | 2,569 | 1.85 |
| Matt Jelly | 510 | 0.37 |
| Total valid votes | 138,529 | 100.00 |
Results taken from official returns provided by the City of Hamilton, available here.
- Wildeman has a PhD in pharmacology, and is a former director of Pharmaceutical Sciences at McMaster University Medical Centre. He was 61 years old at the time of the election (Hamilton Spectator, 24 September 2003). He led a de-amalgamation slate in the election, attempting to reverse a 2000 decision by the provincial government to amalgamate Hamilton with the neighbouring municipalities of Dundas, Ancaster, Stoney Creek, Flamborough and Glanbrook. Wildeman himself is a longtime resident of Flamborough, and focused his campaign on the city's suburban areas. In addition to the amalgamation issue, he supported a tax freeze and a focus on basic infrastructure. One local journalist described him as a "folksy" candidate (Spectator, 7 November 2003).
- Peters was a 36 year-old financial controller for a Hamilton electrical company at the time of the election. He entered the race after Fred Eisenberger and Marvin Ryder withdrew, and argued that he could not support any of the other candidates. He emphasized his financial skills, and opposed de-amalgamation. He also endorsed completion of the Red Hill Creek Expressway "with regret", as work had already started (Spectator, 5 November 2003). A little-known candidate, Peters boosted his profile by renting a bus which prominently displayed his name (Spectator, 25 October 2003).
- Jelly was born in Hamilton, and was a 21 year-old visual artist at the time of the election (Hamilton Spectator, 30 March 2002 and 24 October 2003). He did not enter the election to win votes, but to gain experience and draw attention to certain issues. He opposed the Red Hill Creek Expressway, citing the plan's environmental drawbacks (Spectator, 4 November 2003). Jelly ended his campaign speeches with the line, "Don't vote for me, thank you and good night" (Spectator, 7 November 2003). In 2004, he produced a five-minute video urging the city to take over Hamilton's decaying Lister Block (Spectator, 9 June 2004). Jelly edited and illustrated the Hamilton alternative publication Mayday Magazine beginning with Issue 1 (May 2005) through Issue 12 (April 2006) (Spectator, 14 June 2005).
