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Competition for the mayor’s seat in Kingston, Ont., is heating up with four months to go until election day.
Among those running is incumbent Bryan Paterson, who won handily last time with just over 74 per cent of the vote.
He’s seeking a fourth term at the head of the council horseshoe after briefly leaving his municipal position in 2025 in a failed bid for the federal Conservatives.
Rounding out the race are a one-term city councillor, Kingston’s former manager of equity, diversity and inclusion, and a pair of political newcomers.
Stephen Cuthbertson
Stephen Cuthbertson, a project manager for a real estate holdings company, is running for mayor of Kingston in the 2026 municipal election. (Stephen Cuthbertson For Mayor of Kingston/Facebook)
Born and raised in Kingston, Stephen Cuthbertson currently works as a project manager at a local commercial real estate holdings company, following jobs as a wind turbine technician, a shop foreman and a carpenter, according to his campaign website.
“I know what it costs to build, how financing structures work, and what separates a well-managed asset from a poorly planned one,” it reads. “That’s the lens I’m bringing to City Hall.”
Cuthbertson’s platform touches on transit, supporting seniors and adding recreational infrastructure.
His site also pitches Kingston becoming a large-scale residential landlord, doubling the size of the city’s major local social housing provider over the next decade, and seeking to create a new housing corporation to offer affordable rent and generate profit in order to eliminate homelessness.
Conny Glenn
Conny Glenn, the current councillor for District 10, in Kingston, is running for mayor in the 2026 municipal election. (Submitted by Conny Glenn)
A name that’s already familiar around the council chamber, Conny Glenn has represented Sydenham District since the last municipal election. Her website details past experience founding of a health and wellness consulting business and establishing Kinesiology as a regulated health profession.
It describes her as a “community builder, healthcare advocate, and principled voice at City Hall.”
“Right now, too many people feel like decisions happen around them, not with them. And that has real consequences, for housing, for affordability, and for trust,” Glenn’s platform reads.
It pledges to accelerate affordable housing, protect core services while reducing costs, provide a compassionate response to homelessness and make transparency standard at city hall.
Vanessa Mensah
Vanessa Mensah, the city’s former manager of equity, diversity and inclusion, is running for mayor of Kingston in the 2026 municipal election. (Vanessa Mensah/Facebook)
With a background in mental health, strategic planning and municipal roles, Vanessa Mensah’s website states she brings a “people-centered approach to leadership” that’s grounded in action.
She is a registered social worker and business owner whose past roles include manager of equity, diversity and inclusion for the City of Kingston.
“My work has consistently focused on turning ideas into meaningful, measurable outcomes that strengthen communities and improve the lives of residents,” Mensah’s website reads in part.
It lists responsible growth, accountability and transparency and community well-being, including safer neighbourhoods, environmental stewardship and strengthening food security as being among her priorities.
Bryan Paterson
Bryan Paterson is running for a fourth term as mayor of Kingston in the 2026 municipal election. (Dan Taekema/CBC)
Seeking a fourth straight term, Kingston’s current mayor is looking to continue in the position he’s held for the past 12 years.
Bryan Paterson’s website highlights affordability issues, promising to strengthen transit service and introduce a new food security strategy, while keeping taxes contained and attracting new jobs.
It also proposes making the city an “active leader” in building new, non-profit and affordable housing, along with creating dedicated city support teams to get housing projects approved faster.
Other planks of Paterson’s platform include improvements to recreational spaces and delivering on major projects such as a new hospital and permanent replacement for the LaSalle Causeway lift bridge.
“My commitment is to ensure Kingston remains a city where families can afford to build a future, seniors can age with dignity, and businesses can grow and create opportunity,” his website states.
“My goal is simple: to continue building a Kingston that is more affordable, better connected, safer, and ready for what’s next.”
Grant William Bedard
Bedard is listed as a candidate for mayor, however his website has yet to be set up.
As of Friday morning, it included his photo and this quote: “I am running for mayor because I have a deep sense of love for my community.”
He did not immediately respond to calls or emails seeking more information.
A complete list of candidates for mayor, all 12 council seats and school board trustee positions can be found on the City of Kingston’s website.
