Anthony Furey: Can Toronto rid itself of Mayor Olivia Chow?

Advertisement 1 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Breadcrumb Trail Links HomeNP Comment Anthony Furey: Can Toronto rid itself of Mayor Olivia Chow? The race for the October municipal election has finally ramped up Author of the article: By Anthony Furey Published Sep 11, 2026 Last updated 54 minutes ago 3 minute read Join the conversation Following the death of Toronto Police Const. Marc Pinizzotto, 43, of the Emergency Task Force - Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow addresses media at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto on Thursday June 11, 2026. PHOTO BY ERNEST DOROSZUK/TORONTO SUN/POSTMEDIA Article content For political observers, the Toronto mayoral election has been going on for months. But for the general public, the race gets underway this week. Article content Voters will cast their ballots in a little over six weeks, deciding whether to give incumbent Mayor Olivia Chow another term or opt for one of the main challengers: Councillor Brad Bradford or former federal minister Chris Alexander, a last-minute addition to the race. Article content RECOMMENDED VIDEOS Article content Article content Before they can make that decision, however, they will need to consider both Chow’s record and what she is promising for a second term as mayor. Article content Right? The National Post newsletter that doesn’t hold back, giving readers the unvarnished truth on media, politics and culture. Sign Up By signing up, you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Article content One reason the race is only firing up now is that the period from May (when registrations opened) to October is a long campaign. People tune out during the summer. It’s natural to consider the stretch after Labour Day the real campaign, with the earlier months serving as a warm-up act. Article content The other reason, though, is that the incumbent has declined to campaign until now. While Chow registered for re-election at the end of May to make her intentions known, she’s so far done little to no campaigning. Article content She only launched her campaign Wednesday night. Before then, there were no policy announcements or campaign events. And her campaign website offers no substance. Article content This contrasts with Bradford, who has been vigorously campaigning since registering in May. Opinion polls have consistently shown Chow in the lead with Bradford in a close second.…