Seven newcomers join Toronto City Council after 2026 municipal election
Three incumbent councillors were defeated and four seats were open, resulting in seven new members joining Toronto City Council for the next term.
Toronto City Council will see seven new members after the 2026 municipal election, with three incumbents losing their seats and four wards previously vacant.
In Beaches-East York, former federal MP Nate Erskine-Smith won the council seat vacated by Brad Bradford, who ran unsuccessfully for mayor. Erskine-Smith defeated former broadcast journalist Natalie Johnson.
Diana Chan McNally, a community advocate and crisis worker, secured the Parkdale-High Park ward, succeeding long-time councillor Gord Perks. She defeated TDSB trustee Debbie King and community leader Nadia Guerrera.
Former MP Shaun Chen captured Scarborough North, unseating incumbent Jamaal Myers with more than 35% of the vote. Chen, who left federal politics after a car-accident injury, was followed by former MPP Han Dong, who placed third.
In Toronto Centre, Curran Stikuts narrowly defeated incumbent Chris Moise, receiving about 28% of the vote. Stikuts, a longtime staffer at The 519 Community Centre, was endorsed by NDP MPP and former councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam.
"I’m proud to support Curran Stikuts for his dedication to community advocacy," said Wong-Tam.
Sara Ehrhardt, a former TDSB trustee, won the Toronto-Danforth seat, taking over from Paula Fletcher after securing Fletcher’s endorsement. Ehrhardt earned roughly 50% of the vote, ahead of former councillor Mary Fragedakis.
Mike Layton reclaimed the University-Rosedale ward with nearly half of the votes, filling the vacancy left by Dianne Saxe, who withdrew to run in Toronto-Danforth. Layton previously left municipal politics in 2022.
York South-Weston saw longtime councillor Francis Nunziata lose after nearly three decades in office. Chiara Padovani, who had narrowly missed victory in the prior election, won the ward, while Nunziata finished third with 21% of the vote.