Pembroke voters will have a choice for mayor this October for the first time in four years, as incumbent Ron Gervais and Deputy Mayor Brian Abdallah both filed to run. The election is set for October 26, 2026, with voting open online and by phone from October 16 to 26. Four candidates have also put their names forward for six seats on Pembroke City Council.
The nomination period opened on May 1, and Gervais filed that same day. Abdallah filed three days later, on May 4. According to the City of Pembroke, the deadline to file is August 21 at 2:00 p.m., so more candidates may still come forward. The official list is updated weekly on Tuesdays.
Gervais became mayor in 2022 when no one else ran against him. Before that, he served three terms as deputy mayor. He is a local lawyer with 27 years of experience. Abdallah is a lifelong Pembroke resident and the son of George Abdallah, who was the city’s mayor in the 1970s. In the 2022 election, Abdallah received the most votes for council, with 2,238, and became deputy mayor.
For council, incumbent Ian Kuehl, along with newcomers Elise Fuisz, James (Jamie) Law, and Shawn Behnke have all filed. Kuehl, who was first elected in 2022, filed on May 1. Fuisz filed on May 11, Law on May 15, and Behnke on May 19. With six seats available, it remains to be seen if more candidates will enter before the deadline.
This election follows a term that saw controversy over Gervais’s decision to abolish the Diversity Advisory Committee, which council supported in a 4-2 vote in January 2023. Kuehl voted against shutting it down. The other councillor who voted no, Troy Purcell, is not running again.
Anyone who wants to vote must confirm their registration by August 12 at RegisterToVoteOn.ca to get a Voter Information Letter. The new council term starts November 15, 2026, with the first meeting on November 17.
