Guthrie and 4 New Faces Are the First Ones in the 2018 Race

Mayor Cam Guthrie was the first person this morning to file his election papers, but he wasn't the last as the first day of nominations opened for the 2018 Municipal campaign. Guthrie and four first-time candidates did not let the electoral moss grow under them as at least one of this year's elections has official begun.

Today, I filed to run for re-election. I'm proud of the direction Guelph is headed & it would be an honour to continue to serve as your Mayor. The campaign has started, but that doesn't mean the work stops. I’ll continue to focus on local issues & putting #Guelph first. pic.twitter.com/IoPhgOC7Cp

— Cam Guthrie (@ReElectCam) May 1, 2018

Guthrie tweeted this from his new re-election Twitter account at 10 o'clock this morning. "Today, I filed to run for re-election. I'm proud of the direction Guelph is headed and it would be an honour to continue to serve as your Mayor," he wrote. "The campaign has started, but that doesn't mean the work stops. I’ll continue to focus on local issues & putting #Guelph first."

One of the more familiar faces in the race so far is Dominique O'Rourke, the founder and principal of Accolade Communications and past chair of the Guelph Community Foundation. O'Rourke is running in Ward 6, and on her new campaign Twitter she declares that as an 18-year resident of Pine Ridge, she thinks, "it's time Guelph's Ward 6 had vision, better planning and communications."

Here we go! Filing nomination papers for @orourke_ward6 @cityofguelph pic.twitter.com/bVsjjXgYQj

— Dominique O'Rourke (@DTORourke) May 1, 2018

O'Rourke though is not alone on the Ward 6 ballot, as our southern most district already has a race going with Stacy Cooper, owner of Cooper Admin and Consulting, also filing her papers today.

In the west end, Ward 4, Indu Arora made the leap as one of the few women of colour to take the plunge into municipal politics. Arora is the President of West Willow Village Neighbourhood Group, Founding Director of the Guelph Punjabi Cultural Group, and has been a part of numerous cultural groups and charities including Black Tie Bingo, CFRU, Welcome In Drop-In, and the Coldest Night of Year.

“I am born and raised in Guelph and a proud graduate of the University of Guelph. I have lived in Ward 4 since 1985 where I reside with my husband and two children," Arora said in a press release. "I travel the same roads, shop at the same stores and discuss many of the same issues as you, because I live in your neighbourhood. As an elected Councillor, I will engage with all residents, and bring an accountable voice back to city hall.”

I'm so excited to announce that I'm running to be the next Ward 4 Councillor in #Guelph. Please join the #ImInVoteIndu campaign. pic.twitter.com/Mgzpkynzo9

— Indu Arora (@induarora) May 1, 2018

Rounding out the keeners in this first day of the election is Charlene Downey, a local artist who is based out of the Ward and running, appropriately, in Ward 1.

Nominations for city councillor, mayor, and school board trustee are open now through July 27. For candidates information, you can visit the City of Guelph's election site here.