Markham voters will choose from a three-way field for mayor this fall, after the nomination period closed with incumbent Frank Scarpitti facing challengers Martin Ross and Stephen Edgell.
Unofficial candidate lists were finalized when nominations closed on Aug. 21, ahead of the Oct. 26 Ontario municipal elections, according to AuroraToday. Nominations were certified on Aug. 24.
Contested races across York Region
Markham is one of seven York Region municipalities with a contested mayoral race this year. Aurora, East Gwillimbury, King, Georgina, Richmond Hill and Vaughan will also see election challenges for their mayor's seat.
Only Newmarket and Whitchurch-Stouffville saw their mayors acclaimed. Newmarket Mayor John Taylor and Whitchurch-Stouffville Mayor Iain Lovatt drew no challengers, with Lovatt set to seek a third term.
"Serving as your mayor has been one of the greatest privileges of my life, and I never take the trust you place in me for granted," Lovatt said on social media. "I'm excited about what lies ahead and remain as committed as ever to working hard, listening to residents, supporting our businesses and community organizations, and delivering results for our growing community."
Scarpitti, Markham's long-serving mayor, is among most of the York Region incumbents seeking re-election. Most mayoral incumbents also sit on regional council alongside their municipal duties.
Who is running where
In East Gwillimbury, incumbent Virginia Hackson is the only York Region mayor not seeking re-election. Two councillors from the last term, Scott Crone and Brian Johns, are vying for the mayor's chair there.
Georgina's mayoral contest has three candidates: incumbent Margaret Quirk, Dale Kerr Genge and Frank Sebo. In King, incumbent Steve Pellegrini faces challenger Stephen Ferritto.
Aurora has the widest mayoral field in the region, with incumbent Tom Mrakas up against three challengers: Councillor John Gallo, Shawn Deane and Yafang Shi, who entered on the final day of nominations.
Richmond Hill's race pits incumbent David West against Domenic Bardari and Holo Devnani. In Vaughan, incumbent Steven Del Duca faces Shelly-Ann Starlette Cerrelli, who submitted her nomination on the last day possible.
When and how to vote
Voting day across the province is Oct. 26, though municipalities can allow for advance voting. The voting period will run over several days in October before ballots are tallied on election night.
Both Newmarket and Aurora will offer online voting in the 10 days leading up to the election, with in-person ballot options also available. Markham residents can find a full list of certified candidates on the City's election website.
Current councils remain in place until Nov. 14. Newly elected councils take office the following day, on Nov. 15.
