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Supporters of Olivia Chow gather at her camp’s election night headquarters in Toronto on Monday.Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press
Olivia Chow re-elected Toronto Mayor
The incumbent mayor staved off her main challenger, former councillor Brad Bradford, to win re-election. With almost all votes counted, Ms. Chow had 54 per cent of the vote, compared to Mr. Bradford’s 41 per cent. In her victory speech, she said she spoke with both Prime Minister Mark Carney and Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who called to congratulate her, and that she looks forward to working with both governments to deliver for the people of Toronto. She also pledged to keep investing in police, paramedics, emergency response and community programs, and said she would keep Toronto’s water “in public hands,” a reference to Mr. Bradford’s promise to hive off the Toronto Water department into a separate, publicly owned company. His critics alleged this was a step toward privatization. He denied it.
Opinion: Olivia Chow’s mayoral win was not a vote for Toronto’s status quo
Key Toronto council races
The results in several key ward races appeared to go Ms. Chow’s way: In University-Rosedale former councillor Mike Layton – her stepson and son of the late Jack Layton, former leader of the federal NDP – won a return to city hall easily. In Parkdale-High Park, where left-leaning Gord Perks had stepped down, he will be replaced by Diana Chan McNally, an advocate for the homeless.
In Toronto-Danforth, long-time councillor Paula Fletcher’s chosen successor, former school trustee Sara Ehrhardt, defeated former councillor Mary Fragedakis. The second runner-up in the ward was Dianne Saxe, the sitting councillor in University-Rosedale, where she would have faced Mr. Layton. Ms. Saxe withdrew her candidacy there to run in Toronto-Danforth instead.
In Toronto Centre, a dense downtown ward, self-described progressive candidate Curran Stikuts unseated Chris Moise, a former police officer and health care worker. Mr. Stikuts, a young and articulate former activist with The 519, a community group based in the Gay Village, had the endorsement of Kristyn Wong-Tam, the NDP MPP and former city councillor. A third candidate, Daniel Tate, who posted graphic videos showing urban disorder in the city, came third.
The election also saw the defeat of long-time city hall fixture Frances Nunziata, who has spent 16 years as speaker of council and had been a councillor since Toronto was amalgamated in 1998. Before that, she was mayor of the city of York, already deep into a career in municipal politics that began in the 1980s. In her third attempt, social worker and local activist Chiara Padovani beat Ms. Nunziata in the ward of York South-Weston.
In Scarborough North, former Liberal MP Shaun Chen defeated Chow ally Jamaal Myers, who has served as Toronto Transit Commission chair.
Nate Erskine-Smith wins his council seat
In Beaches-East York, former Liberal MP Nate Erskine-Smith, who has pledged to work with Ms. Chow, won easily in the ward Mr. Bradford had vacated to run for mayor. Mr. Erskine-Smith attempted to make the leap to provincial politics, but was unsuccessful in his bid to become the Ontario Liberal nominee in neighbouring Scarborough Southwest, and abandoned his plan to run for Ontario Liberal leader. He beat Natalie Johnson, a former CTV reporter.
Alvin Tedjo takes Mississauga mayoral race
In one of the evening’s early surprises, Alvin Tedjo was elected mayor of Mississauga. The first-term city councillor beat incumbent Carolyn Parrish and former mayor and one-time Ontario Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie, who returned to municipal politics after losing the 2025 provincial election. The dynamic between Ms. Parrish and Ms. Crombie grew heated at times. Mr. Tedjo, a 43-year-old father of three, ran on a platform that focused on affordability and community safety.
Andrea Horwath loses Hamilton re-election bid
Incumbent mayor and former Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath was soundly defeated in her re-election bid. She came third, capturing just 14 per cent of the vote according to early returns, while winner Keanin Loomis won more than 40 per cent of the vote. Mr. Loomis, the former President and chief executive officer of the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce, now works in the steel construction industry, which has been hammered by U.S. tariffs. Mr. Loomis ran a campaign focused on respecting taxpayers, a responsive city hall, and getting the basics right.
With reports from Patrick White and Marcus Gee