Yet another former elected official threw her hat in the ring Tuesday in the race to become Toronto’s next mayor.

Former Liberal MP Celina Caesar-Chavannes registered as a candidate at Toronto City Hall on Day 2 of nominations.

“Toronto's at a crossroads, and it requires bold, compassionate leadership that is not afraid to push back against the status quo,” Caesar-Chavannes told CP24 in an interview.

Caesar-Chavannes represented the riding of Whitby from 2015 to 2019. She was elected as a Liberal, but left the Liberal caucus in 2019, citing conflict with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Speaking with CP24, she said making the TTC safer is a priority, but it must be done in a compassionate way.

“When we talk about people being safe, it's also about making policies that are very inclusive, that allow people to be as friendly with their neighbors as they are on the subway,” Caesar-Chavannes said. “And so safety's number one, but it's also understanding, to look at the data – I come from a very research specific background – and using that data to say ‘okay, where are the gaps and where can we use our finite resources to address those situation’ and not just throw money in as a Band-Aid solution to some of the problems.”

She said mental health would also be a focus for her.

“As an MP, I was very deliberate in talking about my own mental health concerns,” Caesar-Chavannes said. “I think it's time, especially post-pandemic, to really make sure that the wellness of people in the city is top of mind.”

Speaking about the lack of federal support to help Toronto with its massive budgetary shortfall from the COVID-19 pandemic, she said she would be able to “facilitate” conversations with the federal government.

“As people know, I'm not afraid to have those difficult conversations, to leverage those conversations that I can have, but also the political power of Toronto to push an agenda forward,” Caesar-Chavannes said.

The mom of three enters an already-crowded race that saw 28 candidates register to run on the very first day Monday.

Three more hopefuls – including Caesar-Chavannes – registered on Tuesday, bringing the total to 31.

The nomination period runs until May 12 and voters will head to the polls on June 26.