--- title: "Brad Bradford: candidate for mayor, Toronto 2026 | voche.me" canonical_url: "https://voche.me/on/toronto-2026/candidates/brad-bradford" last_updated: "2026-10-10T04:09:38.893Z" meta: description: "Brad Bradford is the City Councillor for Ward 19, Beaches-East York, according to the City's own page, and the City's list of certified candidates shows hi..." "og:description": "Brad Bradford is the City Councillor for Ward 19, Beaches-East York, according to the City's own page, and the City's list of certified candidates shows hi..." "og:title": "Brad Bradford: candidate for mayor, Toronto 2026" "twitter:description": "Brad Bradford is the City Councillor for Ward 19, Beaches-East York, according to the City's own page, and the City's list of certified candidates shows hi..." "twitter:title": "Brad Bradford: candidate for mayor, Toronto 2026" --- ** Mayor · Toronto 2026 # Brad Bradford City Councillor for Beaches-East York, running for Mayor. Brad Bradford is the City Councillor for Ward 19, Beaches-East York, according to the City's own page, and the City's list of certified candidates shows his nomination for Mayor dated May 1, 2026. His campaign says he would end the City's land transfer tax on the part of a principal home's price below $1.1 million, freeze property taxes for one year and cut water bills by 25 percent. Olivia Chow's campaign has called his budget plan reckless and unfunded. The Local reports that some of his current positions differ from his earlier votes on Council. Explore priorities Campaign links Researched by voche.me · Not a campaign-authored page Candidate space2026 ![Brad Bradford, from City of Toronto, Councillor Brad Bradford page.](https://voche.me/on/toronto-2026/images/candidates/brad-bradford-640.webp) *Brad BradfordMayorv.* [Image: City of Toronto, Councillor Brad Bradford page](https://www.toronto.ca/city-government/council/members-of-council/councillor-ward-19/) 01 / Introduction ## About Brad Bradford The City of Toronto's page for Ward 19 lists Brad Bradford as the City Councillor for Beaches-East York. The page says its profile text was provided by the councillor. It was last changed on May 8, 2026 and lists his committee seats: the Planning and Housing Committee, the Toronto and East York Community Council, and the chair of the Toronto Music Advisory Committee, among others. The Local reports that he has represented the ward since 2018. CP24 reports that he also ran for mayor in the 2023 byelection (a special vote held to fill an empty office). The City's list of certified candidates shows his nomination for Mayor dated May 1, 2026. The profile he gave the City says he has experience as an urban planner. That is the councillor's own description, and voche.me has not checked it with another source. His campaign's news page carries the platform in press releases. On September 22, 2026 his campaign said he would freeze property taxes for one year, for homes and businesses, while an independent line by line review of City spending takes place. On September 28 it said he would cut every water bill by 25 percent, which it puts at an estimated $300 a year for an average household. On September 29 it said he would end the municipal land transfer tax on the value of a principal home below the average Toronto price, which it gave as $1.1 million in 2025. CBC News reported that his campaign estimates this would cost the City an estimated $300 million a year and save a buyer up to $18,000. On October 1 his campaign said he would separate the City's operating budget from its capital budget (the money for large building projects), which it says would stop hundreds of millions of dollars a year moving between them. These are the campaign's own statements and figures, and voche.me has not checked them against City budget documents. On October 1, 2026 CP24 reported that Chow's campaign called the budget plan "reckless" and warned that "the bill will come due." Bradford answered that the plan means the City will borrow more than it does today, and said the borrowing builds projects that pay back over the long term. CBC News reported that Chow's campaign called the land transfer tax plan unfunded, and that Chris Alexander said he believes the tax is too high but wants broader reforms first. The Local reported on September 25, 2026 that his platform includes hiring 1,000 more police officers, requiring treatment for people with addictions, and a TTC "money-back guarantee" (a refund when a vehicle is more than 15 minutes late). The Local also reported that some of his current positions differ from votes he cast on Council: in 2020 he was one of eight councillors who voted to cut the police budget by 10 percent, and in 2023 he voted for bike lanes on Bloor Street West and for renaming Dundas Square to Sankofa Square, which he now says he would reverse. The Local quotes him saying his earlier support for the bike lanes was "wrong." It also quotes his 2023 statement that the police budget vote was about real reforms and that he has always stood with police officers. voche.me did not check these votes against Council records. Chow told The Local that his plan to hire 1,000 officers is unrealistic. On May 25, 2026 he said in a statement that Chow had held events paid for by taxpayers before she registered as a candidate, and called this campaigning with public money. CBC News reported that when asked about it Chow said, "He's wrong." voche.me found no complaint to a regulator and no finding on this. On July 29, 2026 CP24 reported that he called Chris Alexander "unfit for this office" and that Alexander rejected the criticism. [New poll puts Olivia Chow 2.5 points ahead of Brad Bradford with three weeks left ](https://voche.me/on/toronto-2026/news/mainstreet-research-poll-chow-bradford-october-9) [Bradford campaign drops North York event co-host over anti-Islam posts ](https://voche.me/on/toronto-2026/news/brad-bradford-drops-event-host-islam-comments-october-7) [Province to remove Bloor West bike lanes Tuesday, Chow and Bradford respond ](https://voche.me/on/toronto-2026/news/bloor-west-bike-lanes-chow-bradford-october-8) [Bradford says Toronto should welcome AI data centres; Chow has paused new approvals ](https://voche.me/on/toronto-2026/news/bradford-chow-data-centres-october-8) [Nanos poll: Toronto voters say traffic congestion is the biggest problem in the city ](https://voche.me/on/toronto-2026/news/nanos-research-poll-voter-issues-october-8) [Chow and Bradford clash on transit, budget and safety at Scarborough debate ](https://voche.me/on/toronto-2026/news/chow-bradford-scarborough-debate-october-7) [Brad Bradford says he will remove 12 km of Scarborough bus lanes ](https://voche.me/on/toronto-2026/news/brad-bradford-scarborough-bus-lanes-october-7) [Forum Research poll puts Chow ahead of Bradford by 4 points after Alexander exits ](https://voche.me/on/toronto-2026/news/forum-research-poll-chow-bradford-october-6) [Chow and Bradford clash on housing, transit and budget at United Way debate ](https://voche.me/on/toronto-2026/news/chow-bradford-united-way-debate-october-6) [Chris Alexander withdraws from the Toronto mayoral race ](https://voche.me/on/toronto-2026/news/chris-alexander-withdraws-from-toronto-mayoral-race) [A Better City Toronto endorses Brad Bradford for mayor ](https://voche.me/on/toronto-2026/news/a-better-city-toronto-endorses-brad-bradford-october-5) [Olivia Chow promises to add full school lunches to Toronto's food program by 2030 ](https://voche.me/on/toronto-2026/news/olivia-chow-school-lunch-program-october-5) [Seven Liberal MPs now back Brad Bradford for Toronto mayor ](https://voche.me/on/toronto-2026/news/brad-bradford-liberal-mps-endorsement-october-5) Read the sources 02 / The issues ## Priorities & positions Campaign-source summary Summarized from the campaign’s published profile. These are stated positions, not an assessment of results or a complete platform. 01 ### Land transfer tax On September 29, 2026 his campaign said he would end the municipal land transfer tax on the value of a principal home below $1.1 million, and his campaign says investors who own more than one Toronto property would still pay the tax.
Read the full position His campaign estimates the cost to the City at $300 million a year and the saving to a buyer at up to $18,000, according to CBC News. Chow's campaign called the plan unfunded, according to CBC News.
[CBC News · Mayoral candidate Brad Bradford promises to scrap land transfer tax on some Toronto homes, September 29, 2026 ](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/brad-bradford-campaign-cut-land-transfer-tax-9.7362833) 02 ### Property taxes and a review of City spending On September 22, 2026 his campaign said he would freeze property taxes for one year for homes and businesses and order an independent review of City spending, line by line.
Read the full position His campaign says a 2 percent property tax increase raises $100 million in its estimate, and that the City already has that much unspent budget room each year.
[Brad Bradford campaign · property tax freeze release, September 22, 2026 ](https://bradford26.ca/news/bradford-will-freeze-property-taxes) 03 ### Water bills On September 28, 2026 his campaign said he would cut Toronto water bills by 25 percent, which it puts at an estimated $300 a year for an average household, by turning Toronto Water into a publicly owned utility. [Brad Bradford campaign · water bill release, September 28, 2026 ](https://bradford26.ca/news/its-your-money-brad-bradford-mayor-toronto-is-giving-it-back) 04 ### Budget rules On October 1, 2026 his campaign said he would separate the City's operating and capital budgets so that property tax money is no longer moved into the capital budget ahead of time.
Read the full position He told reporters the plan means the City will borrow more than it does today, according to CP24.
[CP24 · Toronto mayoral candidates pitch plans, October 1, 2026 ](https://www.cp24.com/gta-elections-2026/2026/10/01/chow-vows-to-not-slash-city-services-as-bradford-targets-torontos-budget-hole/) 05 ### Crime, transit and building permits The Local reports that his platform includes 1,000 more police officers, required treatment for people with addictions, police sub-stations at Sankofa Square and Union Station, a TTC refund when a vehicle is more than 15 minutes late, and building permits approved within days. [The Local · Brad Bradford, Toronto Mayoral Candidate, Campaigns For Change, September 25, 2026 ](https://thelocal.to/brad-bradford-toronto-mayoral-candidate-campaigns-for-change/) [City of Toronto · Councillor Brad Bradford, Ward 19](https://www.toronto.ca/city-government/council/members-of-council/councillor-ward-19/) Research status ## What voche.me has checked Evidence reviewed on October 4, 2026: the City of Toronto's list of certified candidates, the City's page for Ward 19, the news page of his campaign website with four of its press releases (September 22 to October 1, 2026), and news reports from CBC News, CP24 and The Local dated May 25 to October 1, 2026. His role as a councillor comes from the City's page. His plans come from his campaign and from the reports that quote it, and each is written here as his campaign's statement. Gaps. The home page of his campaign website draws its text with JavaScript, so only its title could be read, and no biography or policy page was found there. His Facebook, X and Instagram accounts showed only a profile line and no posts, so no post is used. Council minutes and recorded votes were not opened, so the 2020 and 2023 votes in the biography are The Local's account and are not confirmed against Council records. The City's published results for the 2023 byelection were not opened. The questionnaire has not been sent. [City of Toronto · list of certified candidates](https://www.toronto.ca/city-government/elections/candidate-list/) [City of Toronto · Councillor Brad Bradford, Ward 19](https://www.toronto.ca/city-government/council/members-of-council/councillor-ward-19/) 03 / Background ## Experience & community Current ### City Councillor, Ward 19 Beaches-East York The City's page lists him as the councillor for the ward and names his committee seats, including the Planning and Housing Committee and the Toronto and East York Community Council. The Local reports that he has represented the ward since 2018. [City of Toronto · Councillor Brad Bradford, Ward 19](https://www.toronto.ca/city-government/council/members-of-council/councillor-ward-19/) Not dated ### Urban planner The profile on the City's page says he has experience as an urban planner. The City's page says this text was provided by the councillor. [City of Toronto · Councillor Brad Bradford, Ward 19](https://www.toronto.ca/city-government/council/members-of-council/councillor-ward-19/) 2023 ### Candidate for Mayor in the byelection CP24 reports that he ran in the 2023 mayoral byelection, the vote that Olivia Chow won. [CP24 · Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow launches re-election bid, May 25, 2026](https://www.cp24.com/politics/toronto-city-hall/2026/05/25/olivia-chow-confirms-she-is-running-for-second-term-as-toronto-mayor/) 04 / Questions & answers ## Questions for the candidate Proposed questions for a future interview. They have not been sent to the candidate, and no answers have been supplied. No questions and answers have been supplied. ### Have your own question? Ask Brad Bradford directly. We send it to the campaign, and publish the reply here if we get one. 05 / About this page ## Questions about this page Facts voche.me can state about Brad Bradford's page itself, answered directly rather than left blank.
Is this an official page for Brad Bradford? No. This page is researched by voche.me from public sources, listed below, and is separate from Brad Bradford's own campaign.
Does Brad Bradford currently hold public office? Yes. Brad Bradford currently serves as City Councillor, Ward 19 Beaches-East York.
How many sources does this Brad Bradford profile cite? This profile lists 14 sourced references, each with the date voche.me checked it, in the Sources section below.
Why do some questions on Brad Bradford's page show no answer? The "Questions & answers" section on this page lists questions voche.me would put to Brad Bradford in a future interview. They have not been sent yet, so the page says plainly that no answer has been supplied instead of leaving the section blank.
When is the election Brad Bradford is running in? The 2026 Toronto municipal election, including the Mayor race, is decided on October 26, 2026.
06 / Candidate contributions ## Space for campaign updates ### No campaign updates yet Announcements, event details and messages can be added here, with their source and publication date. No campaign submission has been added. ## Sources & transparency - [City of Toronto · list of certified candidates ](https://www.toronto.ca/city-government/elections/candidate-list/)Checked October 4, 2026 - [City of Toronto · Councillor Brad Bradford, Ward 19 ](https://www.toronto.ca/city-government/council/members-of-council/councillor-ward-19/)Checked October 4, 2026 - [Brad Bradford campaign website ](https://bradford26.ca)Checked October 4, 2026 - [Brad Bradford campaign · news page ](https://bradford26.ca/news)Checked October 4, 2026 - [Brad Bradford campaign · property tax freeze release, September 22, 2026 ](https://bradford26.ca/news/bradford-will-freeze-property-taxes)Checked October 4, 2026 - [Brad Bradford campaign · water bill release, September 28, 2026 ](https://bradford26.ca/news/its-your-money-brad-bradford-mayor-toronto-is-giving-it-back)Checked October 4, 2026 - [Brad Bradford campaign · land transfer tax release, September 29, 2026 ](https://bradford26.ca/news/brad-bradford-toronto-mayor-will-eliminate-torontos-land-transfer-tax-for-the-average-homebuyer)Checked October 4, 2026 - [Brad Bradford campaign · budget framework release, October 1, 2026 ](https://bradford26.ca/news/brad-bradford-mayor-toronto-presents-new-fiscal-framework-to-modernize-torontos-budget)Checked October 4, 2026 - [CBC News · Mayoral candidate Brad Bradford promises to scrap land transfer tax on some Toronto homes, September 29, 2026 ](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/brad-bradford-campaign-cut-land-transfer-tax-9.7362833)Checked October 4, 2026 - [CP24 · Toronto mayoral candidates pitch plans, October 1, 2026 ](https://www.cp24.com/gta-elections-2026/2026/10/01/chow-vows-to-not-slash-city-services-as-bradford-targets-torontos-budget-hole/)Checked October 4, 2026 - [CP24 · Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow launches re-election bid, May 25, 2026 ](https://www.cp24.com/politics/toronto-city-hall/2026/05/25/olivia-chow-confirms-she-is-running-for-second-term-as-toronto-mayor/)Checked October 4, 2026 - [CP24 · Former federal cabinet minister enters Toronto mayor's race, July 29, 2026 ](https://www.cp24.com/politics/toronto-city-hall/2026/07/29/former-mp-chris-alexander-says-toronto-is-slightly-adrift-as-he-officially-launches-mayoral-bid/)Checked October 4, 2026 - [The Local · Brad Bradford, Toronto Mayoral Candidate, Campaigns For Change, September 25, 2026 ](https://thelocal.to/brad-bradford-toronto-mayoral-candidate-campaigns-for-change/)Checked October 4, 2026 - [The Local · Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow: What She's Done and What She's Promising in 2026, September 25, 2026 ](https://thelocal.to/toronto-mayor-olivia-chow-what-shes-done-and-what-shes-promising-in-2026/)Checked October 4, 2026 Missing information does not imply a candidate’s position. [Read our editorial standards.](https://voche.me/on/toronto-2026/about) Campaign contact ## Campaign links & contact. Find the candidate’s website, social accounts and contact information. [Brad Bradford campaign website (news page)](https://bradford26.ca/news) ## View more candidates. [All candidate spaces ](https://voche.me/on/toronto-2026/candidates) [Mayor**Alex Cruze**](https://voche.me/on/toronto-2026/candidates/alex-cruze) [Mayor**Alton Frederick**](https://voche.me/on/toronto-2026/candidates/alton-frederick) Candidate Q&A ## Ask Brad Bradford a question. Give your name, email and question. We send it to the campaign, and publish their answer here if we get one. ## Sitemap See the full [sitemap](/on/toronto-2026/sitemap.md) for all pages.