Four New Candidates Join Fort Erie Election Race
ONLINE UPDATE: Since the Aug. 20 issue of the Fort Erie Observer was printed, additional candidates have registered for the 2026 municipal election. This online version has been updated to reflect the latest candidate information as of Aug. 20.
Jen Wilkinson, FEO, August 20, 2026
With the Aug. 21 deadline for candidates to register for the 2026 municipal election fast approaching, the field of candidates in Fort Erie continues to take shape.
As of Aug. 20, four candidates have registered for mayor: incumbent Mayor Wayne Redekop, Tom Insinna, Juan Liu and Mike Campbell.
There have also been three new additions to the town council races. Giovanni Mollicone registered in Ward 1 on Aug. 19, while Tavis McGlashan registered in Ward 4 on Aug. 17, and Andrew Holdsworth registered in Ward 3 today, Aug 20.
The current list of registered candidates is:
Mayor: Incumbent Mayor Wayne Redekop, Tom Insinna, Juan Liu and Mike Campbell
Councillor Ward 1: George McDermott and Giovanni Mollicone
Councillor Ward 2: Nick Dubanow and Jon Nadeau
Councillor Ward 3: Darren Flagg, Jennifer Priestley and Andrew Holdsworth
Councillor Ward 4: Joan Christensen, Matt Paul, Daniel Turner and Tavis McGlashan
Councillor Ward 5: Tom Lewis, Thomas Mete, Scott Boumeester and Kassandra Ryerson
Councillor Ward 6: Ann Marie Noyes
With the addition of Mollicone and McGlashan, Ward 6 is now the only one of Fort Erie’s six wards with a single registered candidate, meaning incumbent Ann Marie Noyes is currently running unopposed.
Candidates still have until Aug. 21 to register, so the list could change before the deadline.
As a biweekly community newspaper, the Fort Erie Observer will continue to provide election information and candidate coverage in each issue leading up to election day on Oct. 26.
Starting with this issue, the Observer is introducing its Mayoral Candidates feature. Each mayoral candidate has been asked the same question and given the same opportunity to respond within the same word limit. Candidate submissions are not edited by the Observer**, other than for basic formatting where necessary.**
Mike Campbell registered as a mayoral candidate after the initial questions were distributed. The Observer contacted Campbell after his registration, but due to the timing, he did not have sufficient time to respond in this issue. Campbell has indicated that he will participate in the Mayoral Candidates feature in upcoming issues.
The Observer does not endorse any candidate for mayor or council. Our goal is to provide Fort Erie voters with an opportunity to hear directly from the candidates and make their own informed decisions.
Over the coming weeks, the Observer will also be reaching out to candidates running for town council. Ward councillors will be given the opportunity to answer questions designed to help voters better understand who they are, why they are running and what they hope to bring to their ward and the community. These responses will be featured in the Fort Erie Observer as the election approaches.
Coming in the Sept. 3 issue
The Observer will continue its Mayoral Candidates feature in the Sept. 3 issue with a question focused on one of the most important concerns facing Fort Erie: Access to Health Care.
The Question:
The loss of Fort Erie’s hospital and the reduction of urgent-care services have left many residents questioning how our community reached this point, particularly as a new hospital moves forward in Niagara Falls. If elected mayor, what do you believe should have been done differently to prevent Fort Erie from losing these services, and what, if anything, can realistically be done now to restore or improve access to emergency and urgent health care in our community? What specific steps would you take with Niagara Health and the provincial government to make that happen?
Watch for the candidates’ responses in the Sept. 3 Fort Erie Observer**.**
