Niagara-on-the-Lake’s 2026 municipal election is already beginning to take shape, with four candidates registered so far and one current councillor signalling plans to seek another term.
But several big questions continue to hang over the race, including whether the 2022-26 council table will largely stay intact or if NOTL voters will deliver a major political shakeup this year.
Two people are officially running for lord mayor: Andrea Kaiser and Vaughn Goettler.
Incumbent Lord Mayor Gary Zalepa has not yet confirmed whether he plans to seek another term, saying publicly this month he is watching to see who enters the race before making a decision.
Kaiser, the town’s current regional councillor, says the town needs strong representation as regional governance changes continue across Niagara.
Goettler, an entrepreneur and philanthropist who finished third in the 2022 lord mayor race, has campaigned heavily on opposition to amalgamation and concerns about development pressure in town.
On the council side, Weston Miller and Steve McGuinness are currently the two registered candidates.
Miller, a NOTL realtor and president of the Chautauqua Residents Association, has positioned himself as a “resident-first” candidate focused on transparency, growth and quality of life issues.
McGuinness, a Virgil resident and founder of Residents 4 A Better NOTL, has said he decided to run because he believes residents’ concerns are being overshadowed by development and tourism interests.
Coun. Sandra O’Connor is currently the only sitting councillor to publicly confirm plans to run again, telling The Lake Report she intends to submit nomination papers for another term.
Couns. Erwin Wiens, Wendy Cheropita, Adriana Vizzari, Maria Mavridis and Andrew Niven all said they have not yet decided if they will run again.
“It’s early still,” Wiens said, while Cheropita said she’s “not sure” if she will run but wants the town to be “left in good hands” no matter what happens.
Vizzari said she is still weighing the decision.
“Serving this community is an honour, but I also need to carefully consider the needs of my young family as I make this decision,” Vizzari said.
As for Niven, he said, “My focus right now is on what’s in front of council.”
Couns. Gary Burroughs and Tim Balasiuk had not publicly announced re-election campaigns or responded to requests from the newspaper by press time asking whether they plan to run again.
Nominations officially opened May 1 and candidates can file papers until Aug. 21 at 2 p.m. Voting day is scheduled for Oct. 26.
This year’s election will mark the first time NOTL residents can vote online. In-person voting will be available as well.
More information about the election, including candidate nominations, voting and key dates, can be found on the town’s election webpage at notl.com/elections.
