Toronto Star
· collected 2026-09-23 · by Emma Teitel, Martin Regg Cohn, Denise Balkissoon and Richard Warnica
The leading contenders to be mayor of Toronto sparred for an hour Tuesday night over their visions for the future of the city.
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contenders → lead → city
It was the second time Olivia Chow, Brad Bradford and Chris Alexander have shared a debate stage during the campaign for the Oct. 26 municipal elections.
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Chow → share → elections
The debate was hosted by the Toronto Star and the Toronto Region Board of Trade.
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debate → host → Trade
Intently watching the political pugilism at the Isabel Bader Theatre was our savvy cadre of political pundits.
Here is who they believe scored the weightiest blows of the night.
Emma Teitel:
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Teitel → watch → night
learns lesson, Bradford finds inspiration
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Bradford → learn → inspiration
If the last mayoral debate was defined by maudlin anecdotes about Toronto residents who may or may not exist, this one was defined by precisely the opposite: actual policy.
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one → define → opposite
There was so much talk about taxes and infrastructure, I found myself missing the likes of “Sylvia,“ “Jason” and “Larnetta.”
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myself → be → Sylvia
(If you know, you know.)
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you → know → ?
Instead, we got a lively debate about congestion (all candidates are opposed), TTC fare increases, and new housing starts.
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candidates → get → congestion
Chow, who struggled to make a cogent argument during the last debate, was considerably stronger this time around.
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who → struggle → debate
The mayor called on her actual achievements — championing traffic agents to fight gridlock; making a deal with the province; supporting the city’s renter class — as opposed to leaning on good vibes alone.
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mayor → call → vibes
Speaking of good vibes, if Bradford talked about municipal politics the way he talked about his favourite tree on Tuesday night, he might have an easier time closing the seven-point gap between himself and Mayor Chow come election day.
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he → speak → himself
In response to the debate’s lone light-hearted question, the Beaches—East York councillor revealed that his favourite tree in the city is the London plane, a large deciduous tree, with a distinct “purple bark” and a lovely “tulip shape.”
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tree → reveal → bark
It was the most at ease he has ever looked in an election cycle where it seems everyone, his own wife included, has been telling him to crack a smile.
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everyone → look → smile
Brad, if you’re listening, whenever the tax rate gets you down, just think of the London plane.
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rate → listen → plane
Emma Teitel is a contributing columnist to the Toronto Star, a senior consultant at Crestview Strategy and a former member of the Toronto Star’s editorial board.
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Teitel → contribute → board
Can Chow not see the threat?
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Chow → see → threat
That’s my takeaway.
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That → ’ → ?
His diction is honed, his arguments are practised and he sure can talk the loudest during open debate.
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he → hone → debate
Does that mean he’d be a good mayor?
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he → mean → ?
His actual ideas seem pretty uninspired.
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ideas → seem → ?
A thorough budget review isn’t a bad idea, but the dream of a wad of cash hiding in Toronto’s finances sounds like Rob Ford’s reheated gravy train sprinkled with John Tory’s executive austerity — both mayoral eras in which my hometown became more cold and selfish.
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hometown → hide → which
The biggest surprise was how much I didn’t hate Chris Alexander.
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I → hate → Alexander
I’m nowhere near believing Mr. Barbaric Cultural Practices should lead this special, multicultural city.
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Practices → ’m → city
But if grounded promises of fiscal conservatism are your thing, Alexander’s unsexy offer to talk to Ottawa about funding co-op housing is a nerd point scored.
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offer → ground → housing
Especially with Bradford ducking questions about why a former budget chair hasn’t produced a costed platform, or the specifics of how to cut expenses, freeze property taxes and increase our biggest line item, police.
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chair → duck → item
Incumbents are always playing defence and Chow rattling off numbers in an attempt to detail her successes on affordability, congestion and economics was confusing and flat.
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rattling → play → affordability
That’s true even when she was right — when Bradford tried to blame her for Toronto’s supposed failure to land a deal at Mark Carney’s investment summit last week, she should have had more verve pointing out the big focus was resource extraction.
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focus → ’ → verve
Please, the roads have enough holes already, let’s not do mines.
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’s → have → mines
I believe Chow loves the city more than the other two, but her view is often filtered through stubbornly rose-coloured glasses.
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view → believe → glasses
Can she see that Bradford is coming for her lunch?
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Bradford → see → lunch
Martin Regg Cohn: Chow tries a tough pitch
The mayoral debate pitted three rivals against one another, but there were just two coherent choices onstage Tuesday night — Chow versus Bradford.
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debate → try → Bradford
The third wheel, going in circles once again, was Alexander, the failed former federal cabinet minister and faux candidate for mayor who trails the two leading candidates in polling strength and policy depth.
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who → go → strength
Does he have a rare immunity to impersonation syndrome?
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he → have → syndrome
Alexander keeps saying with a straight face that he’s boned up on this or that city code and found the cure to what ails Toronto.
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what → say → Toronto
Chow continued to run a classic frontrunner’s campaign, telling Torontonians what they (don’t) want to hear: “We’ve now turned a corner …
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We → continue → corner
Give her credit for telling people what they don’t want to hear about taxes, too, saying there are more increases to come.
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they → give → taxes
I’m with her on that — call me pro-tax — but that’s a tough pitch in hard times.
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that → ’m → times
Bradford has hit on the classic challenger’s appeal for votes: A tax freeze.
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Bradford → hit → votes
And a “change” slogan he keeps repeating: “If you want change in the city, you have to change the mayor.”
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you → repeat → mayor
…and 17 more, not listed.
The Aporia
