Ten Ottawa mayoral candidates beyond the front four: who they are and what they want
CTV News Ottawa asked all ten mayoral candidates outside the front four to explain why they are running and what they would do in office.
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Fourteen candidates registered to run for mayor of Ottawa in the 2026 municipal election. CTV News Ottawa contacted the ten candidates outside the front four on October 14 and asked each why they are running and what they would do in office.
Nanos Research, in polling conducted between October 4 and October 8 for CTV News Ottawa, identified Mark Sutcliffe, Jeff Leiper, Neil Saravanamuttoo, and Alex Lawson as the four leading candidates. CTV News Ottawa reported that 1 per cent of decided respondents in the survey said they would vote for another candidate.
The other ten candidates
Queen Divine Priya Amber Bakshi is the only woman among the 14 registered mayoral candidates, according to CTV News Ottawa. She said downtown safety is her top priority. "I would like to see the streets clean as best as possible," she told the outlet.
Zed Chebib said he would hold an open audit of Ottawa's finances and call for new management at the Ottawa Police Service and OC Transpo. "With me, what you see is what you're going to get," he told CTV News Ottawa.
Bernard Couchman declined CTV News Ottawa's request for an interview.
Suraj Harish told CTV News Ottawa he spent 35 years as an engineer with the City of Ottawa. He said he decided to run after getting poor responses to concerns about potholes and broken road surfaces, and that he also wants to address flooding infrastructure after a July 2026 event.
Geoff Nicholas is facing charges by Kingston Police in connection with alleged threats against Mayor Sutcliffe and Ontario Premier Doug Ford, CTV News Ottawa reported. No court has made a finding on those charges. Nicholas declined the outlet's request for an interview.
Josh Rachlis did not respond to CTV News Ottawa's request.
Ali Shayvard said he has 12 years of experience in public transit and that fixing OC Transpo would be his top priority. He also said he would open the city's financial records to find savings.
Jacob Solomon did not respond to CTV News Ottawa's request.
Amjad Ali Syed told CTV News Ottawa he has 35 years of experience in the grocery industry and would work to lower food prices. He said he would also create city-managed insurance plans to find savings for residents.
Peter Westaway said he is running primarily because of the Ottawa Greenbelt. He told CTV News Ottawa: "I am running specifically, mostly to promote my obsession with our Ottawa Greenbelt." He said the current Greenbelt is too small to manage growth.
Advance voting is on October 16, with voting places open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. The main election day is October 26, 2026. All Ottawa candidates are listed at the Ottawa candidates page.
Questions this story answers
Who are the ten mayoral candidates outside the front four?
CTV News Ottawa identified the ten candidates as Queen Divine Priya Amber Bakshi, Zed Chebib, Bernard Couchman, Suraj Harish, Geoff Nicholas, Josh Rachlis, Ali Shayvard, Jacob Solomon, Amjad Ali Syed, and Peter Westaway. The front four, identified by Nanos Research polling conducted between October 4 and October 8, are Mark Sutcliffe, Jeff Leiper, Neil Saravanamuttoo, and Alex Lawson.
What is Queen Divine Priya Amber Bakshi running on?
Bakshi told CTV News Ottawa that her biggest priority is downtown safety. She said she wants policy or intervention with non-profits to improve the situation for residents and students who say they do not feel safe. Bakshi is, according to CTV News Ottawa, the only woman among the 14 registered candidates for Ottawa mayor in 2026.
What does Zed Chebib say he would do as mayor?
Zed Chebib told CTV News Ottawa he would conduct an open audit of Ottawa's finances and call for new management at both the Ottawa Police Service and OC Transpo. Chebib said he would confront what he called scams at city hall and work for honesty in government. These are the things Chebib said himself; they are his own statements, not verified claims about the city.
What is Suraj Harish's background and platform?
Suraj Harish told CTV News Ottawa he worked as an engineer for the City of Ottawa for 35 years. He said he decided to run after getting poor responses from his councillor about road conditions, particularly potholes and broken asphalt around manholes and catch basins. He said he also wants to address flooding infrastructure to prevent a repeat of a July 2026 flooding event.
What charges does Geoff Nicholas face?
CTV News Ottawa reported on October 14, 2026 that Geoff Nicholas is facing charges by Kingston Police in connection with alleged threats made against Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe and Ontario Premier Doug Ford. No court has made a finding on these charges. Nicholas declined CTV News Ottawa's request for an interview and no response from him was reported.
What is Ali Shayvard's platform?
Ali Shayvard told CTV News Ottawa he has 12 years of experience in public transit and that fixing OC Transpo would be his top priority if elected mayor. He said he would also work on transparency and finding savings for Ottawa residents. Shayvard said he would open the city's books because, in his words, 'the money is there.'
What does Peter Westaway want to do about the Ottawa Greenbelt?
Peter Westaway told CTV News Ottawa that he is running primarily because he believes the Ottawa Greenbelt, which surrounds the city, is too small to manage current growth. He said the current Greenbelt boundary needs to be changed. He also said he wants to reform the Ottawa Police Service and cut the city budget to find savings.
When can I vote in the Ottawa municipal election?
The Ottawa municipal election voting day is Sunday, October 26, 2026. Ottawa also has one advance voting day on Friday, October 16, 2026, with voting places open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. All 14 mayoral candidates are listed on the City of Ottawa's official candidate list. You can find information about your voting place through the City of Ottawa's website.
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