Longtime Councillor Richard Carpenter has been elected as the 51st Mayor of the City of Brantford following the municipal election held on Monday, October 26, 2026.
Carpenter will replace former Mayor Kevin Davis, who has held the position since 2018 and decided not to seek re-election.
“As many of you know, this will be my last year as your Mayor,” Davis said at his 2026 annual address in January. “It has been my immense honour to serve you. I look forward to what we can accomplish together in our last months together.”
Carpenter defeated his next closest candidate, Rose Sicoli by 8,604 votes, equating to 45.1 per cent of the vote.
Sicoli received 4,530 votes, Dan McCreary received 4,374 votes, and Mandy Samwell received 4,027 votes, while candidates Ricky Willdy received 2,660, Leslie Bory received 239 and Richard Michael Misura received 128.
The newly elected Mayor and Council will officially take office on November 16, 2026, following the end of the current Council’s term on November 15.
Surrounded by friends, family and supporters, Carpenter addressed the crowd upon hearing news of his win.
“This campaign has been remarkable. This is Jenny [his wife] and my 12th campaign,” he said. “Usually it’s just us knocking on doors, but that couldn’t have happened this time. I needed all of you, and so many of you stepped up big time.”
He continued, “We have to give Brantford back to the people. It’s not me that’s going to provide the answers. It’s you. You’re going to provide the answers,” he said. “It’s you that’s going to tell me what we need to do, and it’s you that’s going to help do it. We’re going to do it together. We’re going to have a city where everybody works together; good, bad, or indifferent. We’re going to do the good things that make us proud to live in Brantford, in this community.”
Carpenter added that he’s looking forward to working with County of Brant Mayor-Elect Jennifer Kyle.
“Jennifer Kyle is a tremendous individual who will be a terrific leader for the County of Brant. We’ve talked already, Jennifer and I, about how we don’t need to be one city. We can work like one, but we don’t need to be one when Six Nations, County of Brant and the City of Brantford can work together like one, respecting each other and understanding what each other’s needs are. It’s so important that we respect each other. There will be no talk of amalgamation or taking over this or taking over that. It’s going to be about what we can do together,” said Carpenter.
He later told the media one of his top priorities is addressing the homelessness situation in downtown Brantford.
“My top priorities have always been the relationship with the County of Brant and Six Nations, and of course the hospital, but dealing with the homelessness, addiction and mental health, and what’s happening with them downtown is a big one. Any one of us could be homeless tomorrow. Any one of us could break our shoulder and end up addicted to pain killers. No one chooses that life and we can’t just move them here and there, we have to find a solution. We have to find a place for them where they can feel safe, and a women’s shelter for sure,” Carpenter said.
Carpenter said that traffic and health care are among some of the topics he heard while talking to residents.
“Everybody’s always saying traffic is an issue. Everybody’s in too much of a hurry and speeding.They’re all the same issues right across the province. They’re the same thing. Our healthcare needs to be stepped up. The province needs to really step up and provide the healthcare that’s needed. The province is laying off hundreds of nurses because they’re not funding a healthcare system. We need to get that right,” he said.
With one of the largest turnovers in Council in decades, Carpenter said he is looking forward to working with this new group, and intends to instill more transparency.
“I would like to give all the councillors portfolios for whatever they’re passionate about,” he said. “And if we have a closed door meeting about something, the minute that’s no longer required to be closed because we’ve done it, it becomes public. We don’t keep it hidden forever. Closed door meetings have a purpose, but they’re not meant to hide things forever. They’re to protect the municipality, protect citizens, protect employees, and for legal reasons, but after that, it should be public.”
Carpenter added he’s looking forward to working for his constituents and alongside staff.
“We have some of the best staff working for us at the City. They’re really tremendous staff. From the guys that collect the garbage to the ones that fix the manhole covers or cut the grass, the women and men that work for us are just unbelievable, wonderful people. I want them to know that they’re appreciated and that they do a great job. One thing I’ve noticed in my time is that when you’re a City employee who works for the government, you’re afraid to make a mistake. We’re all human beings; we all make mistakes. I want them to feel comfortable enough that if they make a mistake, they know it’s okay. Because making a mistake is quite alright, in fact, it’s to be congratulated at times because that means you’re trying something different, and I think it shows initiative,” Carpenter explained.
As far as those who ran for Council and weren’t elected, Carpenter said he hopes they stay willing to be engaged in the community.
“If you ran for office and you were not successful, and you’d like to be on a committee, we’d love to have you on a committee. You’ve already knocked on doors. You’ve already put out your willingness to serve the community. If you want to serve on a committee, you should be top of the list as far as I’m concerned. It just makes sense to get the people that have already heard all the things at the door. Let’s put them on the committees. Let’s get them to work. Let’s make City Hall work,” concluded Carpenter.
Kimberly De Jong’s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative.The funding allows her to report rural and agricultural stories from Blandford-Blenheim and Brant County. Reach her at kimberly.dejong@brantbeacon.ca.
