The race to elect Toronto’s mayor is officially underway.
Candidate nominations opened at 8:30 a.m. Friday morning. Those looking to throw their hat in the ring have until Aug. 21 to do so.
One of the most prominent voices to make his mayoral ambitions known is Brad Bradford, who’s served as the councillor for Ward 19 Beaches-East York since 2018. He previously ran against Mayor Olivia Chow in a crowded 2023 byelection and finished eighth.
But Bradford says it’s time for a fresh start, and that this fall’s election marks a turning point for the city.
“People will have an option: if they want more of the same, if they feel like the status quo is good enough, or Torontonians can demand better. And I think a lot of people are feeling that way, that there are a lot of things City Hall can do better,” he told reporters after filing his paperwork.
Chow has not said whether she’ll seek re-election when Toronto voters go to the polls on Oct. 26. Elections for city council and trustee positions at Toronto school boards will be held on that date as well.
Outside of Toronto, nominations for mayor, councillors and school trustees are also taking place across Ontario today.
In Vaughan, Mayor Steven Del Duca announced Friday his intention to seek re-election. The former provincial Liberal leader narrowly took the city’s top job in 2022, beating his closest competitor by fewer than 1,000 votes.
Meanwhile, former Ontario NDP leader Andrea Horwath has said she will “absolutely” run again after she was elected as Hamilton mayor four years ago.
What do candidates need to do to register?
To get their name on the ballot, candidates for mayor must pay a $200 filing fee and provide a minimum of 25 endorsements from eligible Toronto voters.
Nominations must be filed in person at the Toronto Elections City Hall office.
The city says that until a nomination paper is filed, an individual cannot raise or spend any money on their campaign.
Those running for city council or school board trustee don’t need the aforementioned endorsements, but do need to pay a $100 filing fee.
Who’s not running?
While it’s still unclear who will make a run for Toronto’s top job this election cycle, there are some names who have announced they will not participate.
Former mayor John Tory, who resigned after admitting to having an affair with a staffer in 2023 and triggered the byelection, has said he will not run.
In March, Tory revealed he seriously considered campaigning after being approached by business and community leaders and residents to do so, but decided against it to avoid putting his family through what he called “the inevitable attacks” on him and his personal life.
Anthony Furey, who ran in 2023 and finished fourth, has also said he is sitting this one out. In April, Furey announced that while he was thinking about another mayoral run, he ultimately opted out.
Michael Ford, former MPP, Toronto city councillor, and nephew of Ontario Premier Doug Ford, has said he isn’t running after initially considering it.
In an interview Friday on Newstalk 1010’s Moore in the Morning, political strategist Aleem Kanji said he believes the field for this year’s election will be small and that Chow will eventually announce her candidacy.
“Is it turning out to be a one-two race? For now it is, but it’s only day one,” he said. “And I do expect there to be more names on the list. Will there be split votes? This is a big question. Split votes always work to an incumbent’s advantage.”
At the councillor level, Gord Perks is not seeking re-election to his Ward 4 Parkdale-High Park seat after holding it for 20 years. On Friday, community crisis worker and advocate Diana Chan McNally announced that she’ll run to fill the gap.
“I have very clear ethics around things. We saw this in Councillor Perks as well. There’s a way to do this, keep your ethical base, but also ensure that we are working toward the best outcomes for everybody,” she said.
