Meet the other 10 candidates running for election as Ottawa's mayor

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He listed his top priorities as fixing the city’s road network, improving public transportation and better maintenance of the sewer system.

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“The city needs to ensure that all main modes of public transportation are reliable. Repairing the LRT needs to be prioritized and buses need to be brought back to neighbourhoods that need service or require additional service,” Harish wrote.

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He said a better sewer system could have prevented much of the flooding during the July 1 storm.

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“Floods will occur when the sewer system is blocked with rocks, garbage and debris from the roads and the city needs to ensure that the sewer systems are cleared out regularly. Especially in areas considered high-risk for floods during major storms.”

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Queen Divine Priya Amber Bakshi

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Queen Bakshi’s campaign team says she has called Ottawa home for more than 34 years and brings more than 25 years of professional experience across the public and private sectors.

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A mother of two, she worked in technology before joining the federal public service with Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada.

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The only female candidate among the 14 running for mayor, her team said one of her reasons for running “is to inspire more women to consider becoming mayor and participating in public leadership. She wants women to see that they do not have to wait for someone else to give them permission to try.”

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She’s not a “career politician,” her team said, but brings professional experience, an education in economics and technology and the perspective of a mother of two who cares about her community.

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“Queen believes that people with good ideas should feel encouraged to participate in shaping their communities, regardless of whether they have a traditional political background. Through this campaign, she hopes to demonstrate that civic engagement can begin with a simple step: putting yourself forward, listening to others and being willing to learn.”

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Her top priorities include affordability, housing, responsible city management, environmental protection and stronger community engagement.

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Also among the 14 candidates overall for Ottawa mayor in the 2026 municipal election are, clockwise from top left, Ali Shayvard, Josh Rachlis, Suraj Harish and Peter Westaway. Photo by Handout photos

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Ali Shayvard

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Ali Shayvard, 40, spent 12 years with OC Transpo as a bus operator, train operator and instructor. He came to Canada in 1999 and says his story is “rooted in immigration, working-class life, family and public service.”

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Shayvard said the improvements residents were promised in 2022 had not materialized, citing unreliable transit, poor road conditions, failing infrastructure, unaffordable housing and families paying more without seeing better services.

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“I’m also concerned about the influence developers have over municipal priorities,” he wrote. “I’m running because I believe Ottawa needs a city hall that works for residents, not political insiders or special interests.”

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He described himself as a democratic socialist running a grassroots, self-funded campaign, “because I believe public money should go toward reliable services, affordable housing, safe communities, and infrastructure that lasts, not political favours.”

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His top priority is fixing transit and restoring reliable service through “realistic schedules, preventive maintenance, adequate staffing, better connections and express routes.” He said he would introduce a $90 adult monthly pass for four years, improve Para Transpo and fix LRT Stage 2 before pursuing Stage 3.

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He also listed fixing roads and infrastructure, expanding affordable housing, improving community safety and fiscal responsibility and transparency as priorities.