Olivia Chow re-elected as Ontario municipal elections deliver major political upsets

TORONTO – Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow secured a second term in office following Ontario’s October 26 municipal elections, which also produced several significant political upsets across the province, ending the careers of some longtime municipal leaders.

Chow defeated city councillor Brad Bradford, winning approximately 54.2 per cent of the vote compared with Bradford’s 41.1 per cent. Her victory gives her a full four-year mandate after first assuming office through a 2023 byelection.

Voter turnout in Toronto reached 45.8 per cent, its highest level since 2014, reflecting heightened public interest in housing affordability, municipal taxation, public transit and urban development.

Elsewhere in Ontario, voters delivered unexpected results.

In Hamilton, former Ontario NDP leader Andrea Horwath lost her re-election bid to Keanin Loomis, a business leader and steel industry advocate. Horwath, who became mayor in 2022, finished third in the contest.

Mississauga also witnessed a major upset, with city councillor Alvin Tedjo defeating incumbent Mayor Carolyn Parrish and former mayor Bonnie Crombie.

In Oakville, longtime Mayor Rob Burton was defeated by councillor Jeff Knoll, while Milton Mayor Gord Krantz, one of Canada’s longest-serving municipal politicians, lost to George Minakakis.

Niagara Falls also elected a new mayor, with councillor Lori Lococo defeating longtime incumbent Jim Diodati.

The election results signal a significant reshaping of municipal leadership across Ontario, with voters increasingly focused on affordability, infrastructure, local services and municipal accountability.

Newly elected councils will now face mounting financial pressures and growing demands for housing, transportation improvements and essential public services.