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 Coun. Brad Bradford. The Beaches-East York councillor, who has served the ward since 2018, previously ran against Mayor Olivia Chow in the crowded 2023 byelection, but finished eighth.
Chow has not said whether she’ll seek re-election when Toronto voters go to the polls on Oct. 26, but Bradford says it’s time for a fresh start.
“What I’ve seen over the course of her administration is she is managing Torontonians’ expectations down. She’s asking them to accept less, a lower standard, and pay more for it,” Bradford told CP24 Friday morning, before he heads to Toronto City Hall to file his paperwork with the municipal clerk.
Outside of the mayoral race, elections will also be held in October for Toronto city council and trustee positions at school boards in the city. Elections for all of those roles are also happening across Ontario on Oct. 26.
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 “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 also said he isn’t running after initially considering it.
In an interview Friday morning 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.”
