The 155 Election Podcast project returns for the 2026 municipal election. TPR’s podcast is called The 155 because there were 155 registered candidates for all races during the 2018 election, and the project’s goal is to interview every candidate in every race.
2016 Ward 7 By-Election Coverage Gaps Inspired The 155’s Creation
The podcast was inspired by the collective media failure to provide fair coverage during the 2016 Ward 7 by-election. The campaign coverage focused on people known to the City Hall Media Partners and ignored the “unknowns.” Among those labelled as an “unknown” was first-time candidate John-Paul Danko.
When the ballots were counted, Danko placed second, only 93 votes behind the winner — then CHCH City Hall reporter Donna Skelly. Had there been fair and comprehensive coverage of the race, Danko may well have won — we’ll never know.
Following this, I thought about how to improve election coverage. The 155 gives voters a consistent, side-by-side way to compare candidates.
Candidates are provided with a list of questions in advance of the interviews. Publishing these questions publicly — rather than keeping them secret — is intentional: some candidates share campaign managers across multiple wards, meaning question themes could otherwise leak between campaigns regardless of any effort TPR made to keep them confidential. Making the full list public removes that advantage and ensures every candidate, regardless of campaign resources, has equal access to what will be asked.
Mayoral candidates are treated differently: those questions are being kept confidential until after each interview. The mayoral race doesn’t have the multi-ward, shared-campaign-manager dynamic that makes secrecy impractical for council races, so there’s no fairness rationale for publishing them in advance.
Podcast Publication Starting on September 25
Interviews will begin on August 14 in the eastern wards (4, 5, 9, 10, 11) and end with mayoral interviews on September 24. Following this, podcasts will be posted in batches as editing is completed, beginning September 25.
The following are the questions that candidates for City Council are being asked to answer.
2026 Questions
- Who is [NAME]? This is your opportunity to briefly introduce yourself to voters.
- Why are you running for Councillor, and why should we voters choose you?
- Do you live in Ward [#], yes or no?
- What are your thoughts on residency and representation?
- What are two of your city-wide priorities for Hamilton and why, and how will you achieve them?
- What are two of your priorities for Ward [#], and how will you achieve them?
- The City of Hamilton could be facing a fiscal crisis. I say “could” because the City has not released any audited financial statements since year-end 2022. The current term of City Council has not restored the City’s basic financial information systems and controls following the February 2024 cybersecurity failure. As a result, Hamilton is the only Ontario city to have its credit rating downgraded this past Council term, and it could experience another downgrade.
- What steps will you take to address the City’s deficiencies in financial systems and controls?
- Even if the City is not in a fiscal crisis, it is a fact that the 2027 budget will require difficult decisions, because much of the City’s current spending is financed using depleting reserve funds and creative accounting methods such as “borrowing” from restricted reserves. What will be your approach to budgeting during the coming four years?
- User fees versus property tax levies and water rate charges: what are your preferred methods and practices for collecting revenue to fund services?
- Construction of the B-Line LRT is supposed to begin during this term of Council. It will be the largest construction project in Hamilton’s recent history. How do you plan to respond to construction challenges and opportunities?
- Everyone agrees we need more housing, and it seems that everyone wants that housing to be elsewhere. What do you see as your priorities on approving — or not approving — new housing developments?
- Housing economics: how do we fund subsidized housing as a society? I’m going to exclude the go-to response of saying the federal and provincial governments should give Hamilton more money — for two reasons. One, there is no evidence they will. Two, at some point, those levels of government will need to balance their budgets. Which brings us to this question: within this constraint, how do we fund subsidized housing in Hamilton?
- Housing costs: it is easy for City Council to deny planning applications and make the Ontario Land Tribunal impose the approvals. What do you see as the most frustrating example of this dynamic during the past 10 years in Hamilton?
- Encouraging housing: looking at other municipalities and their housing action plans, what are two measures you’ve seen elsewhere that you wish to implement in Hamilton?
- What principles and advice will help you determine what information should be confidential and what should be made public?
- The City of Hamilton had the Mayor’s Task Force on Transparency, Access and Accountability, which made 27 recommendations. The task force ran a non-scientific survey of Hamiltonians, and over 80 per cent of respondents stated they do not trust City Hall. What are your thoughts on the recommendations and on public trust?
- Ward boundary review: should the City of Hamilton use the forthcoming 2026 Census data to conduct a ward boundary review before the 2030 municipal election?
- What are two changes you will propose to improve City services?
- What are two changes you will propose to improve quality of life in Hamilton?
- Ward-specific question — candidates will not receive this one in advance.
- It’s September 2030. I am writing a review of the four-year Council term that is just ending. What three words do you hope I will use to describe your four-year term as a City Councillor?
- Thank you — that’s the end of the prepared questions you were sent in advance. Do you have closing remarks you wish to share?
Where to Listen
Production Details
v. 1.0.0
Published: August 5, 2026
Last updated: August 5, 2026
Author: Joey Coleman
Update Record
v. 1.0.0 original version
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