Incumbent Drew Dilkens says he will leave office at the end of the next council term if voters elect him for a fourth time. Dilkens, first elected in 2014, filed his nomination on the final day of the municipal election nomination period. He is framing his campaign around experienced leadership and economic stability, arguing Windsor needs continuity as it navigates a trade war and advances major projects, including the development of Sandwich South. “If I’m fortunate enough to receive the people’s confidence and get elected to one more term, it will be my last term as mayor, guaranteed,” Dilkens said. “Hard stop.” Ward 1 Coun. Fred Francis, who is also running for mayor, is framing the election as a choice between change and the status quo. His campaign will focus on limiting taxes and debt, improving affordability and community safety, and revitalizing Windsor’s downtown. “I think, for him, asking for a fourth term is a tall task,” Francis said. “What haven’t you been able to do in 12 years that you’re telling people you could do in four? If you can’t do it in 12, you probably can’t do it in 16.” There are 11 candidates seeking Windsor’s mayoral seat: Benjamin Danyluk, Aaron Day, Drew Dilkens, Fred Francis, Dylon Graves, Tara Grayer, Nick Kolasky, Tristan Ty Morencie, Kat Pasquach, Patrick Sutherland, and Louis Vaupotic. The election will also bring at least four new faces to Windsor city council. With Francis running for mayor, Ward 1 is guaranteed to elect a new councillor. Ward 4 Coun. Mark McKenzie, Ward 5 Coun. Ed Sleiman and Ward 6 Coun. Jo-Anne Gignac are not seeking re-election. More turnover remains possible if any incumbent councillors seeking re-election are defeated. Across Windsor-Essex and Chatham-Kent, about 280 people are running for seats on municipal councils. As of 4 p.m. Friday, 278 candidates had filed to run for mayor, deputy mayor, or councillor. The total does not include school board trustee candidates or candidates who withdrew their nominations. Of those candidates, 196 are running in Windsor-Essex and 82 are running in Chatham-Kent. The lists remain unofficial until they are certified by municipal clerks. One candidate is in line to win by acclamation. Rob Shepley is the only person who filed to become deputy mayor of the Town of Essex. Nearly every incumbent mayor across Windsor-Essex and Chatham-Kent is seeking another term. The lone exception is Pelee Island Mayor Cathy Miller, who did not file for re-election. Election Day is Oct. 26. You can find the full list of candidates for the 2026 municipal election in Windsor-Essex and Chatham-Kent here.
