Toronto’s mayoral race is officially launching with nominations opening for prospective candidates on Monday.
A long list of hopefuls have already announced their desire to take the top job, including high-profilers gearing up to hand in their paperwork as soon as submissions open.
Those include former provincial education minister and sitting Liberal legislature member Mitzie Hunter, current city councillors Brad Bradford and Josh Matlow, former city councillor Ana Bailão and ex-police chief Mark Saunders.
City council formally declared the mayor's office vacant on Wednesday, roughly six weeks after former mayor John Tory abruptly resigned after admitting to an affair with a member of his staff.
Nominations for the mayoral race will close on May 12, advance polls will be available from June 8-13, and the byelection itself is set for June 26.
9:30 a.m.
Matlow arrives with family to hand in his nomination.
The Ward 12 Toronto—St. Paul's councillor has served at Toronto City Hall since 2010.
9:10 a.m.
Saunders is officially tossing his name into the mayoral hat.
He served as Toronto’s police chief from 2015 until his resignation in the summer of 2020.
8:40 a.m.
Next, Bradford is entering his name.
He has promised “less talk and more action” after spending weeks speaking with Torontonians about their concerns with the city prior to announcing his decision to run.
“It’s never been more expensive, less safe, and more difficult to get around this city," Bradford told reporters at city hall. "I will be a strong mayor of action to deliver real results for Torontonians in the things that will make a tangible difference in their lives.”
8:30 a.m.
Bailão is the first candidate to register as a mayoral candidate.
She spent 12 years as the city councillor for Davenport but did not seek re-election in October.
“I have a track record on delivering housing. I brought the city back into the housing business. Twelve years ago you could hardly get a headline, you had no involvement of the city in building housing,” Bailão said. “Today you have [developers] using land to build housing. You have programs helping non-profit organizations to buy housing, you have a fully-TCHC capital funded plan, that’s the kind of leadership that we have.”
Rob Davis, also a former member of Toronto city council, will hand in his nomination at the first opportunity.
Davis sat on Toronto City Council from 1997 to 2000. He ran for election in 2010 but was defeated by former TTC Chair Josh Colle.
With files from The Canadian Press.
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