Former Liberal MP and cabinet minister Nate Erskine-Smith is throwing his hat in the ring to become a member of Toronto City Council.
The lawyer-turned-politician submitted his paperwork at city hall Wednesday morning to run as a candidate for the Beaches-East York council seat.
Elected federally in 2015 to the same riding, the 42-year-old served briefly as housing minister before he was dropped from cabinet by Prime Minister Mark Carney in May.
Speaking to reporters at city hall on Wednesday, Erskine-Smith revealed that Olivia Chow encouraged him to run, noting that the two have worked “very well together” during his time on the housing file in Ottawa.
“We got a lot done together for our city, and there’s a real opportunity, I think, for collaboration. And I’m looking forward to, I hope, working together with Mayor Chow and delivering for my community and for our city and then some,” he said.
Erskine-Smith pivoted to a career in provincial politics, vying to represent the riding of Scarborough Southwest as the Liberal candidate in an upcoming byelection. He lost that nomination race and challenged the result. The appeal was dismissed.
He announced he would resign his seat in the House of Commons in June.
There is no incumbent running in the Ward 19 race as Coun. Brad Bradford campaigns for the city’s top job. Also competing for the council seat are CTV News journalist Natalie Johnson, city worker James Dann, as well as eight other candidates.
Johnson is on leave from her position with CTV News.
Torontonians will head to the polls on Oct. 26.
Council seat a ‘backup plan’ for Erskine-Smith, Johnson charges
In a video posted on social media Tuesday before Erskine-Smith officially submitted his paperwork, Johnson called his municipal political ambitions a “backup plan.”
“Nate has given years of respected public service at the federal level, but this is about city hall and serving the community between Coxwell and Vic Park at the local level, not as a stepping stone for higher political office,” she said.
Johnson went on to say that representing Beaches-East York on Toronto City Council is her “first choice, not a last resort.”
“It’s time for fresh voices. Let’s choose change together, because city hall is not a backup plan,” she said.
In response to those claims, Erskine-Smith said he takes “nothing for granted” and will work relentlessly to serve the east-end Toronto community if elected.
“They deserve the best service, and obviously over the last four years, we’ve had a councillor who’s been running for mayor,” he said, an apparent swipe at Bradford, who lost his bid for mayor to Chow in 2023.
“I am going to be squarely focused on delivering results and solving people’s problems and improving city services and working for our east end community.”
