Toronto’s mayoral campaign is ending in a tight race.
asserted
campaign → end → race
Here's how it got so close
Both Bradford and Chow also ran in 2023's mayoral byelection to replace John Tory, with Chow winning that race
It’s the end of a Toronto mayoral campaign that arguably started when the byelection ended three years ago.
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byelection → get → campaign
On Monday voters will select their mayor and council for the next year, with polls suggesting either Brad Bradford or Olivia Chow will lead the city.
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Bradford → select → city
Voting opens at 10 a.m. across Toronto and will close at 8 p.m. School board trustees are also on the ballot.
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trustees → open → ballot
The challenger’s primary
When former mayor John Tory resigned in 2023, both Chow and Bradford ran to replace him.
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Chow → resign → him
In that election, Chow pulled 37 per cent of the vote, while Bradford came away with one per cent.
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Bradford → pull → cent
Not to be deterred, Bradford announced in October 2025 he would run again, offering an opposition voice to Chow’s three-plus years as mayor.
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he → deter → mayor
Political strategist and Bradford supporter Bob Richardson said the decision to announce early was key to raising his support.
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decision → say → support
“It was very smart to do that and I think it was smart to be steadfast about it,” he said.
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he → do → it
His early declaration may also have deterred other candidates.
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declaration → deter → candidates
Through the spring a number of potential challengers — including Premier Doug Ford’s nephew, Michael, and former finance minister Rod Phillips — all ruled themselves out of running.
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number → include → running
After mulling a campaign of his own, Tory also announced he wouldn’t launch a bid to return.
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he → mull → bid
That, Richardson said, allowed Bradford to "effectively set himself up as the standard bearer for the moderate centrist crowd.”
Safety, affordability dominate
Chow didn’t confirm she would run for re-election until May, officially launching her campaign in September.
uncertain
she → say → September
By the time she did, Bradford was well-established as her main rival in a race that focused increasingly on safety and affordability.
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that → do → safety
Public safety, in particular, took a front seat as two contradictory issues emerged.
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issues → take → seat
Statistically, Toronto is safer than it was when Chow took office, but polling shows residents think safety is actually worsening.
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safety → take → office
“Both are true,” Clayton Campbell, the president of the Toronto Police Association, said.
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Campbell → say → Association
Here’s how Olivia Chow and Brad Bradford plan to hire more cops
Torontonians don't feel safe, despite positive data.
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Torontonians → ’ → data
Here's how the issue is shaping the city's election race
His organization hasn’t endorsed either candidate, but heaped praise on Chow’s public safety plan, while questioning the logic of Bradford’s proposals.
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organization → shape → proposals
“Over the last three years, you're seeing those crimes start to head in the right direction,” he added.
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he → see → direction
“But statistics say one thing, people can [still] feel unsafe.”
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people → say → thing
Erin Morrison, a political strategist and Chow supporter, suggested the Bradford campaign has also exaggerated the problem.
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campaign → suggest → problem
“He talks as if you can't open your door and walk out onto your sidewalk in any neighborhood in this city, in any ward of this city without being shot at,” she said.
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she → talk → city
If you want to dig into the public safety question, we’ve covered the disconnect between how people feel and what the statistics say.
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statistics → want → what
CBC Toronto’s Olivia Piercey has also examined both candidates’ police plans.
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Piercey → examine → plans
New promises roll out
Bradford rolled out a number of high-profile policies on affordability as election day approached.
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day → roll → affordability
The challenger vowed to cut the land transfer tax, pledged a one-year property tax freeze (the Chow campaign argues that promise is misleading) and to replace sections of track on the Toronto subway.
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promise → vow → subway
He also promised he would not cut services, while doing a line-by-line audit of finances at city hall.
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he → promise → hall
Polls suggest Brad Bradford (right) or Olivia Chow will be Toronto's next mayor.
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Bradford → suggest → ?
Both contested the 2023 byelection to replace John Tory, with Chow winning and Bradford only winning one per cent of the vote.
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Bradford → contest → vote
Myer Siemiatycki, professor emeritus in politics at Toronto Metropolitan University, said Bradford followed a well-trodden path through the campaign — one that may be easier to promise than to deliver.
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that → say → campaign
“I think Coun. Bradford has focused on what in many ways are the tried and true formula for getting yourself elected: promise lower lower taxes and better service,” he said.
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he → think → taxes
“Now, how you square that is a real challenge.”
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square → square → that
- Analysis
Bradford's tax cut pledge raises questions about Toronto's fiscal footing
- Analysis
Olivia Chow pitches school food program expansion, critics question how she'll pay for it
Chow has said she will introduce a fare cap on the TTC, with customers only paying for their first 10 rides of the week.
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customers → raise → week
She’s also pledged to introduce free school lunches and help independent grocery stores, along with support for renters.
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She → pledge → renters
Morrison said the incumbent is right to have run on her record, complimented by retail politics promises.
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incumbent → say → promises
“She's been challenged to present herself also as somebody who's pragmatic, who's cautious with taxpayer dollars,” she explained.
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she → challenge → dollars
“When you look at programs like school food … she's talking about it in terms of a money-saving program that puts $900 in the pockets of Toronto families every year.”
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that → look → families
Tightening polls, high advance voter turnout
In the final weeks of the race, polls narrowed.
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polls → narrow → race
A Liaison Strategies poll in February (before Tory ruled himself out of the race) had Bradford at 18 per cent and Chow at 40.
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Tory → rule → 40
…and 14 more, not listed.
The Aporia
