Sam Merulla
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Sam Merulla is a city councillor in Hamilton, Ontario. He represents Ward 4 in the city's east end.
Merulla was first elected to Hamilton City Council in 2000, defeating incumbent councillor Dave Wilson. While Hamilton city council elections are officially nonpartisan, at the time Merulla was affiliated with the Ontario Liberal Party, and had recently served as campaign manager for then Hamilton East Liberal Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) Dominic Agostino's 1999 reelection campaign. Wilson, by contrast, was a member of the Ontario New Democratic Party (NDP).
In 2003 Merulla was reelected to Hamilton City Council, still affiliated with the Liberal Party. In 2004, however, Merulla broke with the Liberal Party, following Dominic's death and Liberal premier Dalton McGuinty's appointment of Dominic's brother, Ralph Agostino, as the party's candidate to replace Dominic in the ensuing byelection. Merulla instead endorsed his city council colleague and New Democrat Andrea Horwath, who eventually won the byelection. Merulla joined the NDP shortly thereafter.
In 2006 Merulla was elected to a third term on council, defeating comeback attempt from now-fellow New Democrat Wilson. In 2007, Merulla sought the provincial NDP nomination in the newly created provincial riding of Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, but was defeated by United Steelworkers activist Paul Miller. Miller was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in the ensuing 2007 Ontario general election. Merulla continues to hold his city council seat.
