Here's who's running for mayor and regional chair in Waterloo region

Residents of Waterloo region, here are your options.

With the deadline for municipal election candidates to file their nomination papers having passed last Friday, we're a step closer to learning who will represent you at city council next term.

As you consider how to cast your ballot in the Oct. 24 vote, here's a look at who's running for office in the Region of Waterloo, the cities of Cambridge, Kitchener and Waterloo and the townships of North Dumfries, Wellesley, Wilmot and Woolwich.

Efforts to diversify council

Running for office can be daunting for first-time candidates. Access barriers may be even higher if the candidate is a visible minority.

Some local campaign schools are hoping to change that by giving diverse candidates the leg up they need to be able to run for office.

Tapiwa Ziyenge is a program co-ordinator at one of the local campaign schools, called Run 4 Office Waterloo Region.

He said it is important for diverse community leaders to be proactive about running for council. 

"If you are not on the table, most likely, you're on the menu," said Ziyenge. "There are a lot of decisions made in boardrooms where most of us are not there. So once the decisions are made and the bylaws are created and announced, all we can do is protest."

Ziyenge said it is disappointing to see the lack of diversity on council right now.

"All you gotta do is go to their website and see their pictures they have that shows regional council representatives for the whole region. It's very disappointing when you look at the number of other visible minorities that they represent. You have to start asking yourself why those numbers are not reflected in the representation itself."

Candidates declared in Region of Waterloo

Regional chair

• Brendon John Da Costa
• Narine Dat Sookram
• Karen Redman (incumbent)

Regional councillor for Kitchener

• Heather R. Caron 
• Robert Deutschmann
• Joe Gowing
• Mac Graham
• Michael Harris (incumbent)
• Mary Henein Thorn
• Tom Hiller
• Colleen James
• Soo Bok Lee
• Duncan McLean
• Michael Parkinson
• Iffat Sultana Riasat
• Matt Rodrigues
• Kari Williams

Regional councillor for Waterloo

• James Ball
• Jim Bolger
• Jim Erb (incumbent)
• Mark Fisher
• Gord Greavette
• Chantal Huinink
• Ryan Keating
• Peter Neufeld
• John Vieth
• Cindy Watkin

Regional councillor for Cambridge

• Tyler Calver
• Doug Craig
• Bobbi Stewart
• Prakash Venkataraman
• Crystal Whetham
• Pam Wolf

Candidates declared in Cambridge

Mayor

• Cody Botelho
• Randy Carter
• Jan Liggett
• Kathryn McGarry (incumbent)

Ward 1

• Paul Brown
• Donna Reid (incumbent)
• Helen Shwery
• Erick Takor

Ward 2

• Mike Devine (incumbent)
• Piyush Nanda
• Matt Rogers

Ward 3

• Michele Braniff
• Tracy Hipel
• Belinda Karahalios
• Corey Kimpson
• Nate Whalen

Ward 4

• Ross Earnshaw
• Barbara Harrington
• Usman Lalva
• Clifford Vanclief

Ward 5

• Naeem Awan
• Mark D. Fisher
• Jim Karahalios
• Amanda Maxwell
• Sheri Roberts

Ward 6

• Shannon Adshade (incumbent)
• Eian Campbell
• Bill Conway
• Adam Cooper
• Kris Langford

Ward 7

• Manuel da Silva
• Scott Hamilton (incumbent)
• Chris Sim

Ward 8

• Nicholas Ermeta (incumbent)
• David Hood
• Vandan Patel
• Jack Perkes

Candidates declared in Kitchener

Mayor

• Rehman-Ullah Khan
• Manikantan Nair
• Val Neekman
• Milos Sokollu Posavljak
• Berry Vrbanovic (incumbent)

Ward 1

• Alan Becirevic
• Scott Davey (incumbent)
• Prashant Deol
• Simon Guthrie

Ward 2

• Derrick Rabethge
• Dave Schnider (incumbent)
• Asher Shahzad

Ward 3

• Rosanne Berwick
• Jason Deneault
• Matthew Griffin
• Devon Harnarain
• Marijo Howard
• Bryan Richardson

Ward 4

• Ali Akbar
• Christine Michaud (incumbent)
• John Vandonk

Ward 5

• Ajmer S. Mandur
• Jon Massimi
• Farah Muhammad
• Naveed Najmuddin
• Ayo Owodunni

Ward 6

• Anwar Arkani
• Paul Singh (incumbent)

Ward 7

• Bil Ioannidis (incumbent)
• Colin Maley
• Kevin McCrea

Ward 8

• Aleena Aftab
• Margaret Johnston (incumbent)

Ward 9

• Debbie Chapman (incumbent)
• David Redman
• Matthew Robson
• Alex Shevchenko
• Brooklin Wallis
• Beth Warren

Ward 10

• Aislinn Clancy
• Peter Davis
• Daniel J. Fife
• Lana Hiscock
• Stephanie Stretch
• Phong Tran

Candidates declared in Waterloo

Mayor

• Rob Evans
• Dorothy McCabe
• Kypp Saunders
• Shannon Weber

Ward 1

• Sandra Hanmer (incumbent)
• Robert Parent

Ward 2

• Khaled Berbash
• Royce Bodaly (incumbent)
• Shaheen Mujahid

Ward 3

• Hans Roach
• Madelyn Steiss

Ward 4

• Maryssa Barras
• Diane Freeman (incumbent)
• Obinna Obi

Ward 5

• Joe Brenner
• Blayr Hogg
• Bob (Obie) Oberholtzer
• Jen Vasic (incumbent)

Ward 6

• Jonathan Cassels
• Karen Fischer
• Mary Lou Roe
• Matthew Nicholas Schwarze

Ward 7

• Bruce Polan
• Julie Wright

Candidates declared in North Dumfries

Mayor

• Sue Foxton (incumbent)

Ward 1

• Rod Rolleman (incumbent)
• Timea Brenner

Ward 2

• Derrick Ostner (incumbent)

Ward 3

• Alida Wilms

Ward 4

• Scott Tilley

Candidates declared in Wellesley

Mayor

• Joe Nowak (incumbent)

Ward 1

• Shelley Wagner (incumbent)

Ward 2

• Lori Sebben

Ward 3

• Derek Brick
• Mary Lichty

Ward 4

• Robert Caskanette
• Claude Hergott

Candidates declared in Wilmot

Mayor

• Jennifer Pfenning
• Natasha Salonen

Ward 1

• Angie Hallman (incumbent)
• Stewart Cressman

Ward 2

• Cheryl Gordijk (incumbent)
• Reginald Simpson
• Kris Wilkinson

Ward 3

• Gary Mosburger
• Harvir Sidhu

Ward 4 (two seats)

• Terry Broda
• Ron Downs
• Lillianne Dunstall
• Steph Goertz
• John Jordan
• Steven Martin

Candidates declared in Woolwich

Mayor

• Patrick Merlihan
• Sandy Shantz (incumbent)

Ward 1 (two seats)

• Cheryle Baker
• Evan Burgess
• Nathan Cadeau
• Dan Holt

Ward 2

• Fred Redekop (incumbent)
• Eric Schwindt

Ward 3 (two seats)

• Paul Bolger
• Bonnie Bryant
• Kayla Grant
• Murray Martin (incumbent)