Minakakis Ends 45-Year Krantz Tenure as Milton's New Mayor

George Minakakis defeated incumbent Gord Krantz to become the next mayor of Milton, ending a 45-year stretch of leadership that began in 1980. Unofficial results released at 10:30 p.m. on Oct. 26 showed Minakakis received 20,262 votes, or 45.20 percent of the total ballots cast across all 38 polls. Krantz, who first took office as mayor on Dec. 1, 1980, finished second with 11,398 votes, or 25.43 percent of the total. The election marked the first time since 1980 that Milton elected a new mayor.

Minakakis, who won a Ward 1 byelection in late 2025, campaigned on his corporate background and a plan to strengthen the local economy. He said the community supported his bid because they felt a shift was necessary. "I think what resonated with everyone was that we’re heading into a whole new era of growth. There’s so many things happening socially, economically, environmentally, technologically and people are feeling that," Minakakis said. He pledged to keep Milton’s status as a town rather than converting it to a city, and he outlined plans to restore the municipal ownership of the Canada Day celebration, including funding for fireworks.

Krantz acknowledged the change in leadership while noting the support he received over his long tenure. "I got caught up in a bit of a trend. Instead of me retiring on my own, the citizens decided it was time for me to retire, maybe they were right there," Krantz said. He said he believes he left a strong foundation for the town's future. Minakakis told the gathering that the community would remember Krantz's decades of service and that the former mayor would still play a role in the community's growth.

Zainab Azim, a political newcomer, secured the third highest vote total with 6,203 ballots, representing 13.84 percent of the vote. She attributed her result to the efforts of roughly 300 volunteers on her team. "I do think a bit of fear won today, but hope. I mean a lot of people who believe that Milton is a place where we can all afford to live here together and work here and learn here and play here and dream here," Azim said. She said the result reflected a desire among residents to participate more actively in local governance.

Voter participation increased sharply compared to the 2022 election. A total of 44,995 eligible voters cast ballots, resulting in a turnout of 40.71 percent. This was a substantial increase from the 23,298 voters, or 28.99 percent, who participated in the previous cycle. Advance voting also saw a jump, with 15,538 residents casting ballots during the four-day advance poll period, more than double the 6,897 advance votes recorded in 2022.

The newly elected council for the 2026-30 term will include Owen Gray, who won the Ward 1 town councillor seat with 5,896 votes. Other elected town councillors include Patrick Murphy in Ward 2, Adil Khalqi in Ward 3, and Giles Vanderholt in Ward 4. Regional council seats were won by Colin Best in Ward 1, John Challinor in Ward 2, Rick Di Lorenzo in Ward 3, and Sarah Marshall in Ward 4. The town clerk will declare these results official in the coming days.

The inaugural meeting of the new Milton council is scheduled for Nov. 16. Officials have not yet announced the agenda for the first session, but the meeting will serve as the formal start of the new administration's four-year term.