Amherstburg mayoral hopeful dropped from certified list of candidates

Frank Cerasa

An Amherstburg mayoral hopeful has had his nomination rejected but is continuing to fight.

Frank Cerasa is no longer listed as a mayoral candidate due to an issue pertaining to his 25 endorsements and whether he met the requirements. 

The town maintains he has only 24 endorsements, a claim Cerasa disputes. According to Cerasa, he tried to rectify the situation regarding a 25th signature that is under dispute.

“There is no malice,” said Cerasa.

Cerasa is fighting to maintain his candidacy, noting is he pursuing legal avenues. 

Cerasa’s nomination papers were filed with the Town of Amherstburg May 4. 

As of press time, his name had been removed from the town’s website when the town moved from an uncertified list of candidates to a certified list of candidates.

A letter sent by clerk Kevin Fox to Cerasa dated Aug. 23 was shared with the RTT, stating that each candidate must be endorsed by at least 25 persons who are eligible to vote for that office in that municipality.

“I have reviewed the Endorsement of Nomination Form (Form 2) supplied by Mr. Frank Cerasa for the Office of Mayor in the Town of Amherstburg and I am not satisfied that at least 25 persons have endorsed the nomination who are qualified to vote for that office,” the letter reads. 

The letter continues: “In accordance with the requirements of the Municipal Elections Act, 1996, I am not satisfied that Frank Cerasa is qualified, pursuant to the requirements set out in law, to be nominated as a candidate for the Office of Mayor for the 2026 Municipal Election and hereby reject the nomination.”

Cerasa says he is going through the legal process and vows the fight is not over. He has sent his own letter back to the clerk.

“I respectfully dispute the rejection of my nomination and expressly reserve all of my rights to challenge the decision, including by way of an urgent application for a judicial review and, if necessary, a request for interim relief from the Ontario Superior Court of Justice,” Cerasa’s letter replies. “Without admitting that an additional endorsement is legally required, I am providing the Town with an additional endorsement from a person qualified to endorse my nomination for the Office of Mayor. The additional endorsement is being provided immediately upon receiving notice of the Clerk’s concern and is intended to remove any possible doubt that my nomination has the support of at least 25 separate qualified persons.”

Cerasa’s letter asked that an enclosed endorsement be accepted and the decision of Aug. 23 be reconsidered.

“The consequence of the decision is exceptionally serious,” he added in the letter. “It prevents an otherwise qualified individual from standing for elected municipal office and prevents electors from having the opportunity to vote for that candidate.”

Cerasa had been in the midst of his second attempt to seek the mayor’s position in Amherstburg. He came in third place out of four candidates in the 2022 municipal election.

Candidates on the 2026 election ballot for mayor include Bill Fryer, Chris Gibb and Michael Prue.

Amherstburg mayoral hopeful dropped from certified list of candidates

By Ron Giofu