Residents in Cambridge have voted overwhelmingly for change at city hall. Scott Hamilton unseated the mayor, incumbent Jan Liggett, with nearly 57 per cent of the vote in the 2026 municipal election. “Cambridge is ready to choose hope and move forward,” the now-former Ward 7 councillor told supporters following Monday night’s big win. Hamilton promised voters a fresh start. “A lot of this has to do with ensuring that we listen to people and try to incorporate the residents’ perspectives into policies accurately and as best as we can,” he explained. “Being transparent with that is essential. When transparency is involved, people usually understand we can disagree and move forward because, ultimately, we all live in the same city.” Hamilton said his first priority was to establish a cohesive city council. “We can have the greatest strategy in the world, but if you don’t have a healthy culture around the council horseshoe or staff – culture eats strategy for breakfast, as the expression goes,” he told CTV News. “So, building that culture from day one and making sure that all the priorities from every ward are represented equally around the horseshoe will be essential.” According to the city’s unofficial tally, there were 17,444 votes for Hamilton. The runner-up was newcomer Ryan Bolender with 7,280 votes, followed by Liggett in third place. The incumbent finished with 3,473, or 11.3 per cent, of the votes. Liggett’s reaction “People think I’m really upset. I’m not,” Jan Liggett said in an interview with CTV News. “It’s the will of the people. It is what it is.” She has also been in touch with her successor. “I have offered myself up to the new mayor-elect,” Liggett said. “We both want what is best for the community. We have different points of view about what that is but… I’m here for anybody that needs me.” As for what’s next professionally, she isn’t sure. But there is one thing Liggett is looking forward to. “My grandkids are ecstatic because I’ll be hosting family dinners at my house again,” she joked. Why were election results delayed? Residents waited hours to learn the outcome of the election. Unlike Kitchener or Waterloo, where votes trickled in from polling stations, Cambridge held their results back until 10:40 p.m. Officials said the decision was made not to release the numbers until all the votes were counted. “Given the variety of voting methods available, the process of collecting, validating and compiling results from all voting channels is methodical and takes time,” explained Jennifer Shaw, the city clerk and returning officer for Cambridge. “As a result, the decision was made to compile all votes before announcing results to ensure complete and accurate unofficial election results could be shared with the public at one time.” The new mayor and city councillors will officially take office on Nov. 17. Trustee voted in after withdrawing from race Carla Johnson said she was stunned by the results of the municipal election. She wanted to run as a trustee for the Waterloo Region District School Board but withdrew from the race in September due to health issues. Johnson’s name remained on the ballot, however, and she won a spot on the school board. “For being unable to campaign – no signs, no flyers, no door knocking – the generous response of the people of Cambridge and North Dumfries has unbelievably warmed my heart,” she wrote in a statement to CTV News. “I was certain I could not win, yet here we are! Thank you everyone! Once I know what the future holds, I will be sure to share it.”
