Olivia Chow is the newly elected Mayor of Toronto. For those who have followed this crowded race of over 100 candidates, her victory comes as no surprise.
Since the beginning of the election, Chow held a constant lead in the polls. Former Toronto City Councillor Ana Bailão gained significant traction towards the end of the race, but it was not enough to surpass Chow’s lead.
Chow ran on promises of housing affordability, helping homelessness, tenant advocacy, and better transit for Toronto. Our Excalibur interview highlights some of her main goals for improving the city.
According to the election results from the City of Toronto, Chow received 269,372 votes, equating to 37.17 per cent of the total vote. Ana Bailão came in second place, with 235,175 votes, translating to 32.45 per cent of the vote.
Mark Saunders, former Toronto Police Chief, finished in third with 62,167 votes, covering 8.58 per cent of the vote. Finishing in fourth place was journalist Anthony Furey, with 35,899 votes and 4.95 per cent of the total vote. City Councillor Josh Matlow came in a close fifth place, with 35,572 votes and 4.91 per cent of the vote.
Other front-running, top-polling candidates like Mitzie Hunter and Brad Bradford finished lower than expected.
Chow’s win comes with a recent history of setbacks. In the 2014 Toronto Mayoral Election, she came in third place, with Doug Ford placing second and John Tory claiming victory. Chow ran as a Federal NDP Member of Parliament in the Spadina- Fort York riding in 2015, but lost to Liberal Adam Vaughan. In many ways, this win is her political comeback.
On Monday night’s opening address, Olivia Chow spoke to a crowd of cheering and clapping fans. She said: “If you ever doubted what’s possible together, if you ever questioned your faith in a better future, and what we can do with each other and for each other — tonight is your answer.”
“Thank you, to the people of Toronto, for the trust you’ve placed in me, and the mandate for change as your new Mayor,” Chow added.
In a recent CP24 article, Chow requested to take office on July 12. While her win has come with excitement and media buzz, key questions remain. Can Mayor Chow deliver on her campaign promises? Will her leadership help solve some of the major issues facing Torontonians?
We will have to wait and see.
