CAMPAIGN NEWS

JULY 20, 2026

Declaring that "it's time to finish the job," Keanin Loomis officially launched his campaign for Mayor of Hamilton on Saturday afternoon at Ringside Hamilton, telling a crowd of over 200 supporters from across the city that Hamilton cannot afford another four years of the status quo.

The launch marks the beginning of the next chapter of Loomis' campaign after a month-long Building Bridges Listening Tour that brought him to seven communities across the city to hear directly from hundreds of Hamiltonians.

Drawing on conversations from the Listening Tour, Loomis said residents consistently shared the same message: they want accountable leadership, a stronger local economy, safer communities and a City Hall that delivers results.

"People love Hamilton and want to be proud of this city again," said Loomis. "They want leadership that aims higher, respects every taxpayer dollar and gets things done. This campaign is about restoring confidence in City Hall and building a city where the next generation can choose to build their future here."

Loomis announced that his campaign will soon begin rolling out its SMART Plan—a platform shaped directly by residents that will focus on restoring accountability at City Hall, tackling homelessness, repairing roads and infrastructure, growing the local economy, attracting investment and rebuilding public trust.

The event opened with opening remarks from former Hamilton-Wentworth Regional Chair and former Hamilton Community Foundation CEO Terry Cooke, who said it was the first time he has publicly backed a mayoral candidate since leaving elected office 25 years ago.

"In the 25 years since I retired from politics, I have never endorsed or worked on a mayoral campaign—until now," said Cooke. "Hamilton needs a leader who can bring people together around a shared vision. Keanin has the vision, discipline, compassion, resilience and integrity to be that leader."

Speaking before introducing her husband, Trish Loomis shared why she changed her mind about another mayoral campaign after a narrow runner-up finish in 2022. 

"People kept asking if Keanin was going to run again, but they weren't asking out of curiosity—they were looking for hope," said Trish Loomis. "I told him he could do the easy thing or the right thing. The right thing was to run because Hamilton deserves real leadership."

Reflecting on the last four years, Loomis said his continued leadership in the business and steel sectors in the past four years have prepared him to serve as Hamilton's next mayor.

“Since the last election, I've had the privilege of advocating for businesses across Ontario and now serving as the Voice of Canadian Steel at the Canadian Institute of Steel Construction. Despite loving that work, I can't be a bystander in this election. Hamilton deserves great leadership.

Loomis closed the event by calling on Hamiltonians to help build a movement capable of delivering change on Election Day.

"This is bigger than one campaign and bigger than one person," he said. "It's about building a better Hamilton together. If you believe this city deserves better, now is the time to get involved."

Residents interested in volunteering, requesting a lawn sign, donating or learning more can visit voteloomis.ca.