Six Candidates Vie for Mayor of Brantford

Six candidates are competing for the mayoralty of Brantford, Ontario, in the municipal election scheduled for October 26. The race opened after Mayor Kevin Davis announced he would not seek re-election. The field consists of four sitting city council members — Dan McCreary, Mandy Samwell, Richard Carpenter, and Rose Sicoli — alongside two non-incumbents.

Among the challengers is Ricky Willdy, a high school teacher and professional wrestling promoter known as The Brantford Rattlesnake. Willdy, who first announced his intentions via Instagram in November 2024, registered for the election using his wrestling name but omitted the prefix Pretty to signal he is taking the bid seriously. He stated he is running because he believes the only way to make actual change is by "rolling up your sleeves and getting involved."

The candidate pool also includes Leslie Bory, who was convicted in January 2025 of uttering threats, willful promotion of hatred, and advocating genocide. Rhonda Nordlander previously registered for the race but has since withdrawn. In addition to the mayor, voters will elect the city council and representatives for the Grand Erie District School Board, the Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board, and the Conseil Scolaire Catholique MonAvenir.