Chow wins Toronto mayoral race

Olivia Chow secured a second term as Toronto mayor on Monday with 54% of the vote. She defeated Brad Bradford, who received 41% of the ballots cast. The margin of victory was 13 percentage points, a result that surpassed expectations from recent polling that showed a tight race between the two candidates.

Total votes for Chow exceeded 532,000, nearly doubling her total from the 2023 election. Bradford, a 40-year-old former city councillor and urban planner, acknowledged the outcome in a concession speech. He noted that no incumbent mayor seeking re-election in Canada's largest city has previously lost. He stated he wanted Chow to succeed and cited the support of the nearly 400,000 voters who chose his campaign.

Chow, 69, campaigned on a platform of addressing the city's affordability crisis. Her proposed policies include expanding rental housing, implementing free school lunches, and reducing fares for frequent transit riders. Bradford focused his campaign on crime and cost of living, telling residents he slept with a baseball bat next to his bed due to safety concerns. He pledged to cut taxes and city spending while increasing police presence.

The candidates took different approaches to antisemitism and public safety. Bradford criticized Chow's decision not to attend a specific debate on the topic. He argued she needed to be a more visible voice against hate. Chow responded by increasing the size of the police hate crimes unit. She also advanced a bylaw establishing a 50-meter bubble zone around places of worship, schools, and childcare centers.

Chow's relationship with Premier Doug Ford, who called her an unmitigated disaster when she took office in 2023, became a factor in the race. Ford did not endorse her but told reporters the pair now share a phenomenal relationship. The two officials are expected to engage in a dispute over the city's bike lane infrastructure. Chow's victory coincided with a wave of support for progressive candidates on the city council.

Diana McNally Chan, an advocate for unhoused people, won a seat on council for the first time. She will be the first renter to serve on the Toronto city council. The new council will face ongoing challenges related to housing costs and urban affordability. Most crime categories, including homicides and firearms violence, have dropped in recent years, though auto theft and high-value property crime have risen.