Cambridge

Cambridge lies at the confluence of the Grand and Speed rivers in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, approximately one hundred kilometres west of Toronto. The city was formed in 1973 from the amalgamation of the historic towns of Galt, Preston, and Hespeler, each retaining its own distinct downtown core and architectural character. The federal riding also encompasses the Township of North Dumfries, a rural area of farmland and small settlements to the south.

Candidates

Bryan May (Liberal) — Born in Guelph in 1974, May earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Waterloo and spent years in senior management roles with non-profit organizations including the YMCA of Cambridge and the Boys and Girls Club of Canada. He first ran for the Liberals in Cambridge in the 2011 federal election, finishing third, before winning the seat in 2015. During his first term he served on several standing committees and introduced a private member's bill on tax credits for first aid training.

Sunny Attwal (Conservative) — Born and raised in Cambridge, Attwal's family had lived in the city for more than forty years. He started a small business in the region employing local residents and won the Conservative nomination in a contested race, defeating two other candidates for the party's banner.

Scott Hamilton (NDP) — A professor at the Balsillie School of International Affairs in Waterloo, Hamilton held expertise in international relations, global environmental crises, and the politics of climate change. The birth of his son helped motivate his decision to enter the race as a first-time candidate.

Michele Braniff (Green Party) — Braniff brought a varied professional background as a lawyer, mediator, mental health service provider, and post-secondary educator to her campaign. She highlighted the Green Party's climate action plan and advocacy for universal pharmacare and a guaranteed livable income.

David Haskell (People's Party) — Haskell was a professor at Wilfrid Laurier University who had been involved in public debates about freedom of expression and academic free speech. He ran on a platform emphasizing civil liberties and limited government.

George McMorrow (Veterans Coalition Party) and Manuel Couto (Marxist-Leninist) also stood as candidates.

About the Riding

Cambridge has been one of the more competitive ridings in southwestern Ontario, with relatively narrow margins separating Liberal and Conservative candidates in recent contests. Galt's stone buildings and mill-era streetscapes along the Grand River recall a nineteenth-century industrial past, while Preston's metalworking heritage and Hespeler's textile mills have given way to a more diversified economy. By 2019, automotive manufacturing — anchored by Toyota's assembly plants in Cambridge and nearby Woodstock — remained a significant employer, alongside a growing technology and advanced manufacturing sector benefiting from the broader Waterloo Region corridor.

Housing affordability was an emerging concern as prices climbed across the Waterloo Region. The opioid crisis and its visible impact in Cambridge's downtown areas featured prominently in candidate debates. Traffic congestion on Highway 401 and the commercial Hespeler Road corridor was a perennial irritant, and the planned ION light rail extension from Kitchener-Waterloo to Cambridge faced continued delays. The Grand River, winding through the heart of Galt, anchors the riding's identity, with the Cambridge to Paris Rail Trail following the valley south through rolling countryside and Carolinian forest.