Toronto mayoral race intensifies as polls open across Ontario
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Municipal elections are underway in Ontario, with Toronto voters choosing between mayoral candidates Olivia Chow and Brad Bradford while polling stations remain open until 8 p.m.
Ontario’s municipal elections began today, with polling stations across the province opening at 10 a.m. and scheduled to close at 8 p.m. Voters will select mayors, city councillors and school trustees for roughly 2,800 positions, including the mayor of Toronto.
In Toronto, the mayoral contest is expected to be a two-candidate race between Olivia Chow and Brad Bradford. A recent Nanos Research poll commissioned by CP24 and CTV News Toronto showed Chow holding a 3.2-point lead among decided voters, a margin that falls within the survey’s margin of error.
Both candidates made final campaign appearances on election day. Chow addressed supporters at Riverdale Park East, emphasizing the need for affordable services and proposing lower TTC fares, reduced property taxes for local grocery stores, and measures against price gouging. > "You deserve a mayor who has your back and I have a plan to make life affordable," she said.
Bradford held a gathering at Zaffron Restaurant in North York, urging voters to consider a change in leadership to unlock the city’s potential. > "If you want to change the city you have to change the mayor, if you want to change the mayor you have to do that at the ballot box," he said.
CP24 will provide live coverage of election night starting at 7 p.m., with results and analysis available on its television channel, website, and mobile apps after polls close.
Several Toronto wards will see new representation, as incumbent councillors Gord Perks, Brad Bradford and Diane Saxe are not seeking re-election in their current wards. Across the Greater Toronto Area, incumbent mayors in Durham Region, Caledon, East Gwillimbury and four towns in Niagara Region have also announced they will not run again.