Hamilton East--Stoney Creek

Hamilton East--Stoney Creek was one of the most closely watched ridings in the Hamilton region in 2025, offering a rematch between Conservative Ned Kuruc and Liberal incumbent Chad Collins. Kuruc had finished a strong second in 2021, and this time he flipped the seat -- becoming the first Conservative to win the riding since its creation in 2004.

Candidates

Ned Kuruc (Conservative)* -- Born and raised in Stoney Creek, Kuruc is a mortgage specialist and former global sports entertainment executive. He founded Champions Management, a combative-sports agency, before joining K-1 Global in 2012 as Director of Events and Fighter Acquisitions, where he organized major international events. He first sought public office in 2018 as a candidate for Hamilton city council before running federally in 2021. He received endorsements from former Liberal MP Bob Bratina and former Stoney Creek councillor Doug Conley.

Chad Collins (Liberal) -- Collins served on Hamilton City Council for more than 25 years, first elected to Ward 5 in 1995 at age 24. The son of former Ontario MPP Shirley Collins, he grew up in social housing for six years, an experience he has cited as shaping his commitment to affordable housing. After winning the federal seat in 2021, he chaired the Liberal National Housing Caucus and contributed to recommendations that informed Canada's Housing Plan.

Nayla Mithani (NDP) -- Mithani is a project manager in the office of NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and a McMaster University graduate. She previously worked as an Ontario NDP campaign organizer.

Jim Boutsikakis (People's Party - PPC) -- The People's Party candidate in Hamilton East--Stoney Creek.

About the Riding

Hamilton East--Stoney Creek stretches from Hamilton's industrial lower city eastward through the former City of Stoney Creek, including the communities of Fruitland and Winona along the Lake Ontario shore. The riding sits north of the Niagara Escarpment and encompasses a diverse mix of established working-class neighbourhoods, newer suburban development, and pockets of light industry.

The population of roughly 127,000 reflects a multicultural composition, with significant Italian, Serbian, Croatian, and South Asian communities alongside longstanding English-speaking families. Hamilton's steelmaking heritage remains visible in the riding's western reaches, where proximity to the ArcelorMittal Dofasco and Stelco facilities has historically defined the local economy and labour politics.

Affordability and economic anxiety were central themes in the 2025 campaign. The riding's mix of blue-collar workers, small business owners, and suburban families made it particularly sensitive to concerns about the cost of living, housing prices, and the potential impact of U.S. trade tariffs on Hamilton's manufacturing sector. The Conservative flip here -- won by fewer than 1,500 votes -- signalled a shift in traditionally Liberal working-class communities across the Hamilton area.