Olivia Chow Wins Second Term as Toronto Mayor with 54 Percent of the Vote

Olivia Chow has been elected to a decisive second term as mayor of Toronto, Canada. She beat her rival Brad Bradford by 13 percentage points, receiving 54 percent of the vote compared to his 41 percent.

Weeks of polling had suggested a dead heat, but Chow ultimately turned in a dominant win. The tightly fought election saw record turnout and a wave of support for progressive councillors.

After the win, Chow promised more rental housing, free school lunches and reduced fares for frequent transit riders. On Monday night, she thanked her supporters and Bradford.

She told a jubilant crowd: 'I know we share a love for Toronto and a belief in its future. We can disagree on how we get there, or what it looks like, but I do not doubt we both want what is best for our city.'

Chow, 69, has long been a fixture of the city's politics. She previously served as a school board trustee, city councillor and federal member of parliament. Her total of more than 532,000 votes nearly doubles what she received in 2023.

Bradford, a former city councillor and urban planner, focused his campaign on what he said was Chow's failure to stem the rising cost of living and to address crime. He told residents crime was so bad in Toronto that he slept with a baseball bat next to his bed.

While auto theft and high-value property crime have risen, most other categories, including homicides, firearms-related violence and assault, have dropped significantly in recent years. Bradford said more police were needed, and pledged to cut taxes and city spending.

In his concession speech, the 40-year-old took a conciliatory tone: 'I want her to succeed. And my supporters and the nearly 400,000 people that cast a vote for us tonight, they want her to succeed too. We all love this city. We know it can be better.'

Bradford also acknowledged the daunting odds against his candidacy: no incumbent mayor who has sought re-election in Canada's largest city has ever lost.

Chow also benefited from her ability to manage a fraught relationship with the Ontario government and its premier, Doug Ford. When she was first elected in 2023, Ford said she would be an 'unmitigated disaster' for the city. Ford did not endorse her in this election, but told reporters the pair had a 'phenomenal relationship' and said people should 'read between the lines' on his preferred candidate. The two are likely to spar over the city's bike lanes.

Like other major urban centres, Toronto remains locked in a battle over affordability, expected to remain a challenge for the incoming council. A large number of progressive candidates both returned and won for the first time, including Diana McNally Chan, a well-known advocate for unhoused people, who will be the first renter to sit on city council.