Career
He is the mayor of the Municipality of Chatham-Kent, Ontario. He also served as a New Democratic Party member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1990 to 1995. Hope was involved in the labour movement before entering political life.
He served as a plant worker at Rockwell International, and was president of the Canadian Auto Workers Local 1941 in Tilbury, Ontario from 1985 to 1990.
He also served as president of the Chatham and District Labour Council from 1988 to 1990, and was an area coordinator of the Coalition for Social Justice. Hope was elected to the Ontario legislature in the 1990 provincial election.
He defeated Maurice Bossy, the Liberal Party incumbent, by almost 4,000 votes in Chatham—Kent. In March 1995, he announced a government grant of $2.9 million in Kent County.
Hope also supported the domestic production of ethanol during his time in government.
In 2006, Hope was elected mayor of the Municipality of Chatham-Kent, Ontario. He was re-elected in 2010.