Michael Baldasaro - Political Activities

Political Activities

Baldasaro, a perennial candidate, saw his support peak in 1988, when he was the sole opponent of incumbent mayor Bob Morrow. He received over 7,500 votes, which was approximately 10% of the vote.

Baldasaro stood in the 2004 Ward 2 by-election, following the resignation of Andrea Horwath, and placed seventh out of eleven candidates with 52 votes. In 2006, Baldasaro again ran for mayor of Hamilton and received 4,520 votes or 3.61% of the total vote.

Baldasaro has run for Parliament three times. In 1984, Baldasaro received 300 votes as a Libertarian candidate in the federal riding of Hamilton West. In 2000, Baldasaro won 573 votes as a Marijuana Party of Canada candidate in Hamilton East. In 2004, Baldasaro received 345 votes as an independent candidate in Hamilton Centre. In 2006, Baldasaro again ran for mayor of Hamilton and received 4,520 votes or 3.61% of the total vote.

Baldasaro also announced he would be a candidate for the Progressive Conservative leadership convention in 1998. He developed a plan to revitalize the party's flagging poll numbers by encouraging direct democracy, pardoning individuals convicted on marijuana possession, cutting government pensions and making the words to O Canada gender neutral. Baldasaro was forced to withdraw when he could not meet the filing fee and threatened legal action against the party when they refused to waive $30,000 entrance fee.

Two years later, in 2000, Baldasaro attempted to join the Canadian Alliance leadership race. His plans again involved legalizing marijuana, but this time also favoured abolishing political parties altogether. He openly admitted that the challenge was mostly for publicity, and that he did not expect to win against the likes of Preston Manning or Stockwell Day. He was dissuaded, once more, by the party's $25,000 leadership nomination fee.

More recently, Baldasaro started a campaign to save Hamilton's Center Mall from conversion into a 'power center' operated by SmartCenters. In 2007, during Hamilton City Council's debate over the renovation of City Hall, Baldasaro and Tucker sent a letter addressed to Mayor Fred Eisenberger and City Council, requesting they move municipal operations to Stelco Tower, in Hamilton's downtown core.

Baldasaro was a candidate for the 2010 Hamilton Municipal Elections, once again running for Mayor. He finished fourth in a field of fifteen candidates, with 2.05% of the vote.