Who’s the next Mayor of Pickering…read it here.
Here’s what could happen. The Regional Chair of Durham, John Henry, states that he is resigning from the office. Political talk has it that Pickering Mayor Kevin Ashe has his eyes on the position. Let’s assume the rumour mills have some validity and Ashe puts his hat into the ring for the office of Regional Chair. There is no regulation that restricts Ashe from holding both offices simultaneously but Ashe is likely more astute to do that battle with the public outcry that it would entail. If Ashe is appointed to the Regional Chair vacating the Mayor’s seat in Pickering, the projected vote changes very significantly and clearly…
Let’s use the process of elimination.
Zagham Rasool
In logical order, the unknown Zergham Rasool has no municipal council experience, quite possibly no political experience. He is a member of an ethnic and a religious minority a little research will likely confirm. These aspects of his candidacy should have no weight in the campaign given the Canadian constitution. However the general public show little adhesion to legalities and constitutionality with a secret ballot. The bottom line here is that Rasool very likely has no chance of winning the Mayor’s office. One gone, five remain.
Doug Cornell
Doug Cornell faces an uphill battle, with a moderate to high likelihood of losing, though Pickering’s crowded seven-candidate race gives him a narrow, viable path to victory under Ontario’s first-past-the-post rules. He is a successful business man and would bring that expertise to office but he would be swimming in political rather than business waters and these would be horrendous currents to navigate. He also is a relatively unknown name in the campaign as an door to door canvas in Pickering will confirm. The bottom line here, Cornell likely has no chance of winning. Two gone, four remain.
Andrea Wood
Also a business person but with some political experience as Green Party candidate in the 2025 federal election where she garnered less than a 1000 votes. She is a late registrant which puts her into the campaign struggle of having a very short time for launching a well prepared campaign. She also is a relatively unknown and must make herself known to a very broad constituency to run for mayor. In campaign debates, she will inject environmental sustainability and fiscal accountability into the discourse—rather than contending for the plurality needed to win. The voters will fall asleep. Three gone, three to go.
Janice Frampton
The candidate with political meat on the bones. She gave Ashe a run for his money in the last municipal election. She is a known political quantity; has the political and community activist creds; has the intelligence and political chutzpah; has a strong, well-oiled campaign organization. Personable, politically astute, municipally constructive, familiar to the electorate, strong campaigning machine. She’s been there before and will make her mark again…but the brass ring? She lost before. That maybe the scar of her campaign. There is no concrete reason to give her more than an odds on favour for winning but getting there? It is a real challenge to pin the reason or reasons but will she win? Not likely. Four gone, two to go.
Shaun Rickard
Rickard’s world is business but he has a known community activist profile because of his work opposing high density waterfront condo development which is ranked highly by many voters in Pickering. His opposition to unbridled home building is an attractive bone to anti-density single-family homeowners. His platform likely appeals to too few in a constituency that has broader interests. Additionally, his Achilles heal is his lack of the political machinery that Ashe and Frampton have. Not likely to reach the mayor ribbon in this race. Five down, one to go.
Lisa Robinson
Robinson has numerous strong arrows in her political scabbard: very familiar across the entire constituency, bucks the system in favour of solid community values, claims of being bullied and sullied by council might be taken to heart by many voters. She has municipal experience and real political history as she has campaigned federally and been on municipal council since 2022. She has appeal, strong appeal to those who feel themselves down trodden or hard done by in the community. So the possibility of ‘birds of a feather…could be very real here. She has the machine, a concrete dedicated team and some very committed supporters. Her political statements of corruption and malfeasance in Council may lack solidity without evidence but these cries do not fall on dead ears. She is optimistic and realistic about her chances and she is likely right in that view.
With so many candidates, such polarized campaigners, the voters could touch the broad spectrum diluting the concentration of votes for any single candidate. That will work in Robinson’s favour. Her outspoken and loud opposition to the current council may have more impact on the electorate than many think. The constant pubic battle with Ashe, often very heated and empassioned, may garner sympathy votes. For certain, the suspsension from council with suspension of pay, a single mother, definitely will earn her votes. She is astute enough not to take advantage of making statements to gain sympathy votes sticks to political statements and policies promises that will sound plausible, attractive and acceptable. Just like she is to many voters at this time. Lisa Robinson is your keeper and in this scenario, Lisa Robinson is your next Mayor of Pickering.
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