New Brunswick · Municipality of St. Stephen

How to run for Mayor in St. Stephen

A plain-English guide to the 2026 cycle — eligibility, deadlines, paperwork, and key local contacts for mayor candidates in St. Stephen, New Brunswick.

Election day: Monday, May 11, 2026
Population (2021)
8,165
Head of council
1 Mayor
Term
4 years
Wards
3

Step 1

Are you eligible?

On the day you file your nomination paper for mayor in St. Stephen, you must be:

  • A Canadian citizen.
  • At least 18 years old.
  • A resident of St. Stephen, OR a non-resident owner or tenant of land in St. Stephen (or the spouse of one).
  • Not legally disqualified from running.
Common disqualifications include sitting judges, sitting MPs / Senators / MPPs (must resign before filing), municipal employees (must take an unpaid leave or resign), and people serving a sentence in a penal institution.

Step 2

What does the mayor do?

The Mayor is the head of council in St. Stephen — chairs council meetings, is the public face of the city, and votes alongside councillors on by-laws, the annual budget, and major staffing decisions.

Southwest New Brunswick Regional Service Commission (RSC 10) — mayor sits *ex officio*

RoleSeatsTermNotes
Mayor14 yrsAt-large

Step 3

The nomination process

Filing happens at Elections New Brunswick, in person during regular office hours and on nomination day until 2:00 PM. You'll need to bring:

  • Nomination paper, signed in the presence of the clerk or a commissioner of oaths.
  • 10 nominators from eligible electors of St. Stephen.
  • Government-issued photo ID showing your name and qualifying address.
  • Filing fee: None — the deposit was eliminated in 2004.

Where to file

Elections NB Municipal Returning Office for St. Stephen.

Step 4

Key dates — 2026 cycle

DateEvent
Apr 10, 5:00 p.m.Nomination period closes (last day to file)
May 11, 2026Election day
May 31, 2026New term of council begins

Step 5

Campaign finance

New Brunswick has no campaign-finance regulation at the local level — no contribution caps, no spending limits, no financial-statement requirement.

Local

Specific to St. Stephen

  • Council size debate. The current council was internally split during the term over whether to reduce the number of councillors before 2026; status quo prevailed but expect the issue to recur.
  • Cross-border with Maine. St. Stephen is across the St. Croix River from Calais, Maine — daily cross-border commerce shapes the local economy. Border infrastructure (3 international bridges) is a recurring federal/local issue.
  • Ganong Chocolate. Canada's oldest candy company is headquartered in St. Stephen; major local employer and cultural anchor.
  • Open mayoralty after long incumbency. MacEachern's 14-year tenure ends. Three-way race likely to feature debate on post-reform integration of the parish wards into the expanded municipal district.

Ballot

Other roles on the same ballot

Voters in St. Stephen also choose:

  • Councillor (Wards 1–3) — Ward residency required
  • Anglophone South DEC member — Same ballot

Sources

Official resources

Related guides

Also running in St. Stephen?

Considering a different office? We have plain-English guides for every position on the St. Stephen ballot:

This page is a plain-English summary, not legal advice. Always confirm details with Elections New Brunswick and the most recent provincial candidate guide before filing. Last reviewed 2026-05-01.

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