Politicians, voters and fellow candidates offer mixed reactions to Horwath mayoral bid

Andrea Horwath's Tuesday morning announcement about her running for mayor of Hamilton is spurring mixed reactions from politicians, community members and fellow mayoral candidates.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford thanked Horwath for her "years of public service."

"As I said the day after the election, let there be no doubt that Andrea wakes up every day ready to fight for what she believes in," he said in a statement Tuesday, adding he wishes all municipal candidates across the province good luck.

Ontario NDP interim leader Peter Tabuns congratulated Horwath, saying in a statement "her heart is always in the Hammer."

"While we will miss her dearly at our caucus table, we wish her nothing but the best in this municipal election," he wrote.

Meanwhile, Catherine McKenna, the Hamilton-born former federal minister of the environment and climate change under the Liberal government, tweeted that "Hamiltonians deserve better" than Horwath.

"Imagine announcing that you're running for Mayor in the town you're from & represented provincially for 18 years, with an election a few months away, and you don't have anything to say to voters about your ideas. Politics isn't about politicians. It's about people & policy," she wrote, adding she endorses mayoral candidate Keanin Loomis.

When pressed to share policy ideas at the media event, Horwath said Tuesday was really about announcing she was joining the mayoral race and that more would be to come. 

Loomis, the former president and CEO of the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce, said in an interview with CBC Hamilton he heard Horwath say "a lot of nothing" at her Tuesday announcement.

"People want change, not somebody who came to council in 1997," he said, adding that he thought both Horwath and former mayor Bob Bratina, who is also running again, seem to be relying on name recognition more than anything.

"We're running against two professional, career politicians who are desperate to remain relevant."

Loomis said he'll be talking more about affordability and road safety soon.

He added he has "great" relationships with both federal and provincial parties, something he says the other candidates don't have.

Bratina said in an interview he's not interested in trading insults and running an "American style" campaign. He said he's excited voters can begin to compare candidates and make up their minds.