Toronto votes for mayor as Chow and Bradford finish tight race
Polling stations across Toronto are open today until 8 p.m. Olivia Chow would become the first sitting mayor to lose since the city amalgamated in 1998 if Brad Bradford wins.
Reported. A news outlet found this. voche.me names the outlet and links its report. Read the original report on theglobeandmail.com.
Toronto is voting for mayor today, with polling stations open until 8 p.m. Eastern time. The Globe and Mail reports that a win for challenger Brad Bradford would make incumbent Olivia Chow the first sitting Toronto mayor to lose a re-election bid since the city was created by amalgamation in 1998.
Chow won the mayor's chair in a 2023 by-election, after former mayor John Tory resigned. Bradford, a city councillor since 2018, received 1.28 per cent of the vote when he ran for mayor three years ago.
What the polls say will decide it
David Valentin, a pollster at Liaison Strategies who has been tracking the race, told the Globe that the result will likely depend on turnout, and in particular on whether downtown residents go out to vote. Downtown areas have voted at higher rates in recent years and those voters lean toward Chow.
"For me, the question really is, does he have the machine? Does he have the people power to get this done?" Valentin told the Globe.
What Chow has done in office
According to the Globe, Chow brought in two large property-tax increases during her term. She also signed a multibillion-dollar deal with Premier Doug Ford that included $1.2 billion in operating cash over three years and the transfer of the Gardiner Expressway and Don Valley Parkway to the province. The Globe reports those moves contributed to a credit-rating upgrade for the city to AA-plus from S&P Global Ratings.
In this campaign, Chow has promised to reduce fares for frequent transit riders and provide free school lunches, while keeping future tax increases around the rate of inflation.
What Bradford has promised
Bradford has promised to freeze property taxes, commission an external review of city spending, and remove the city's land-transfer tax on home sales under $1.1 million. He has also pledged to hire 1,000 additional police officers.
The two candidates have clashed over Bradford's plan to move Toronto Water into a separate, publicly owned company. Chow and allies including environmentalist David Suzuki and former mayor David Miller have called the plan a step toward privatization. Bradford says his plan would cut water bills by 25 per cent, a figure he has attributed to his campaign's analysis. He told Chow at the final debate that her criticism was "misinformation" and "scare tactics."
Polls close at 8 p.m.
Polling stations across Toronto are open until 8 p.m. Eastern time. You must go to your assigned location and bring identification showing your name and a Toronto address. To find your polling station, visit the City of Toronto's Elections page at toronto.ca/elections. To compare both candidates' platforms, visit the pages for Olivia Chow and Brad Bradford on this site.
Questions this story answers
When do Toronto polling stations close today?
Polling stations across Toronto are open until 8 p.m. Eastern time on Monday, October 26, 2026. You must vote at your assigned location. If you are not sure where to go, the City of Toronto's Elections page at toronto.ca/elections has a tool to find your polling station by address.
What would it mean if Brad Bradford wins the mayoral race?
The Globe and Mail reports that a Bradford win would make Olivia Chow the first sitting Toronto mayor to lose a re-election bid since the current city was created by amalgamation in 1998. No incumbent mayor has lost an election in the 28 years since Toronto's current boundaries were established. Bradford ran for mayor in 2023 and received 1.28 per cent of the vote in that race, according to the Globe.
What does Liaison Strategies pollster David Valentin say will decide the race?
David Valentin of Liaison Strategies told the Globe and Mail that the result will likely depend on turnout, and in particular on whether downtown residents go out to vote. He said downtown areas of the city have voted at higher rates in recent years and those voters lean toward Chow. Valentin said the question is whether Bradford's campaign has the people to match Chow's get-out-the-vote operation.
What is Olivia Chow's record on property taxes?
According to the Globe and Mail, Chow brought in two large property-tax increases in a row during her term, after promising 'modest' increases during her 2023 campaign. She also signed a multibillion-dollar financial deal with Premier Doug Ford that included $1.2 billion in operating cash over three years and the transfer of the Gardiner Expressway and Don Valley Parkway to the province. The Globe reports that those moves contributed to a credit-rating upgrade for the city to AA-plus from S&P Global Ratings.
What has Brad Bradford promised on property taxes?
According to the Globe and Mail, Bradford has promised to freeze property taxes, commission an external review of city spending, and remove the city's land-transfer tax on home sales under $1.1 million. He has said Chow's spending choices have left the city 'stuck' and that a tax freeze would require a line-by-line review of the budget.
What is the water plan dispute between the two candidates?
The Globe and Mail reports that Bradford has promised to move Toronto Water into a separate publicly owned company, saying this would allow the city to borrow money for new pipes and cut water bills by 25 per cent. Chow and allies including environmentalist David Suzuki and former mayor David Miller have called the plan a step toward privatization. Bradford told Chow at a recent debate that the criticism was 'misinformation' and 'scare tactics.'
Where can I compare the two main candidates on this site?
You can read about both candidates and their platforms on this site. Visit the page for Olivia Chow at /on/toronto-2026/candidates/olivia-chow and the page for Brad Bradford at /on/toronto-2026/candidates/brad-bradford. You can also see all candidates running for mayor at /on/toronto-2026/candidates#mayor.
How competitive has the Toronto mayoral race been this year?
Polls taken in the final weeks of the campaign showed a tight race. Liaison Strategies found Bradford leading Chow 49 to 47 in a poll released October 21, then Pollara's final poll released October 25 showed Chow leading. Several polling firms showed results within the margin of error throughout October. The Globe and Mail describes the race as ending 'in a tight race.'
Sources
The pages this story draws on. Open one to check a claim yourself.
- The Globe and Mail: Olivia Chow, Brad Bradford battle to the wire in Toronto's mayoral electiontheglobeandmail.com
- Liaison Strategies: Bradford 49, Chow 47 poll, October 21press.liaisonstrategies.ca
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