Andrea Horwath
Andrea Horwath (/ˈhɔːrvæθ/ ⓘ; born October 24, 1962) is a Canadian politician who has been the 58th mayor of Hamilton since 2022. Horwath served as the leader of the Ontario New Democratic Party (NDP) from 2009 to 2022 and as the leader of the Official Opposition in Ontario from 2018 to 2022.
Andrea Horwath | |
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Horwath in 2022 | |
| 58th Mayor of Hamilton | |
| Assumed office November 15, 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Fred Eisenberger |
| Leader of the Opposition in Ontario | |
| In office June 29, 2018 – June 28, 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Vic Fedeli |
| Succeeded by | Peter Tabuns |
| Leader of the Ontario New Democratic Party | |
| In office March 7, 2009 – June 28, 2022 | |
| Deputy | |
| Preceded by | Howard Hampton |
| Succeeded by | Peter Tabuns (interim) |
| Member of the Ontario Provincial Parliament for Hamilton Centre (Hamilton East; 2004–2007) | |
| In office May 13, 2004 – August 15, 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Dominic Agostino |
| Succeeded by | Sarah Jama |
| Hamilton City Councillor | |
| In office December 1, 1997 – June 16, 2004 Serving with Ron Corsini (1997–2000) | |
| Preceded by | Vince Agro Bill McCulloch |
| Succeeded by | Bob Bratina |
| Constituency | Ward Two |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 24, 1962 Hamilton, Ontario, Canada |
| Political party | Independent |
| Other political affiliations | Ontario New Democratic |
| Domestic partner | Ben Leonetti (c. 1985–2010) |
| Children | 1 |
| Alma mater | McMaster University (BA) |
| Occupation |
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| Signature | |
Horwath was first elected in 1997, when she won a seat on Hamilton City Council. In 2004, she was elected as the member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) for Hamilton Centre, a seat she would hold until 2022. Owing to her roots in Hamilton, Horwath is known by the moniker "Steeltown Scrapper". Horwath was elected as the leader Ontario NDP at the party's 2009 leadership convention, and led the party through four provincial elections, before resigning in 2022. She is the first woman to lead the NDP, and the third woman (after Lyn McLeod and Kathleen Wynne) to serve as leader of a party with official party status in Ontario.
During the 2018 provincial election, Horwath led the Ontario NDP to official opposition status after 23 years without government or official opposition status. The results of the 2022 provincial election, after which the Ontario NDP remained the official opposition, led to Horwath announcing her intention to resign as the leader of the Ontario NDP on the night of June 2, 2022. Her resignation took effect on June 28, 2022.
On July 26, 2022, Horwath announced her candidacy for mayor of Hamilton, and resigned her seat in the provincial legislature on August 15, 2022. She was elected mayor on October 24, 2022, and was sworn in on November 15.