Hamilton, Ontario municipal election, 2003

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

‹ 2000  2006 ›
Hamilton municipal election, 2003
November 13, 2003
Candidate		Larry Di Ianni	David Christopherson	Dick Wildeman
Popular vote		70539	54298	4462
Percentage		50.92	39.20	3.22
Candidate		Michael Peters
Popular vote		3270
Percentage		2.36
The results of the 2003 Election. Whereas Christopherson held all downtown wards, DiIanni won enough of the suburbs to secure victory.
Incumbent Mayor Bob Wade Mayor-elect Larry Di Ianni

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] Candidates

[edit] Mayor

• Larry Di Ianni was first elected to Stoney Creek city council in 1982, where he served until the 2000 amalgamation of Stoney Creek into Hamilton. He then served as a Hamilton councillor until November 2003. Di Ianni's major policies included the completion of the Red Hill Creek Expressway, business tax reduction, airport development ^[1], improving relations among the amalgamated municipalities, and obtaining additional social service funding from the more senior levels of government.

• David Christopherson was elected to Hamilton City Council in 1985, where he served until 1990, when he was elected to the Ontario Legislature as a New Democrat, where he served, both in government and opposition until 2003. During the NDP's tenure in government from 1990 to 1995, Christopherson held the positions of Minister of Correctional Services and Solicitor-General.

• Dick 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.^[2]

• Michael 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.^[3] A little-known candidate, Peters boosted his profile by renting a bus which prominently displayed his name (Spectator, 25 October 2003).

• Tom Murray emphasized infrastructure spending and "law and order" issues. He argued that he would cut subsidies to professional sports teams in order to pay for the city's police and firefighters, and supported construction of the Red Hill Creek Expressway (Spectator, May 3 and November 7, 2003). Some considered him a spoiler candidate, and argued that he would take support away from right-leaning candidate Larry Di Ianni.^[4] Late in the campaign, Murray told the media that a Di Ianni supporter had offered him financial support if he would withdraw from the contest and run for council instead.^[5]

• Michael Baldasaro is the leader of the Church of the Universe and a perennial candidate for office, running for Parliament in 1984, 2000 and 2004, Ward 2 Councillor in 2004 and Mayor for Hamilton on numerous occasions. His campaign was centered on legalization of marijuana, but he also supported de-amalgamation and keeping City Hall in Jackson Square, a platform consistent with his platforms from previous elections.

• Matt Jelly was born in Hamilton, and was a 21-year-old visual artist at the time of the election.^[6] 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).^[7]

[edit] Results

The Ward-By-Ward percentages for the top three candidates: DiIanni, Christopherson and Wildeman.

[edit] References

1. ^ http://www.raisethehammer.org/article/131/ | Smoove D: An Interview with Mayor Larry Di Ianni
2. ^ Spectator, 7 November 2003
3. ^ Spectator, 5 November 2003
4. ^ Spectator, October 29, 2003
5. ^ Spectator, November 1, 2003
6. ^ Hamilton Spectator, 30 March 2002 and 24 October 2003
7. ^ Spectator, 14 June 2005