Anthony Furey: There isn’t much separating Olivia Chow and Brad Bradford

Advertisement 1 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Breadcrumb Trail Links HomeNP Comment Anthony Furey: There isn't much separating Olivia Chow and Brad Bradford Toronto voters wait for mayoral race to heat up Author of the article: By Anthony Furey Published Sep 18, 2026 Last updated 18 hours ago 3 minute read Join the conversation Toronto Coun. Brad Bradford and Mayor Olivia Chow "would bristle at being told this, but right now there really isn’t that much separating the two of them," writes Anthony Furey. PHOTO BY DAVE GORDON, CINDY ORD / GETTY IMAGES Article content What’s the ballot box issue for the Toronto mayoral election? It’s not yet clear. With only six weeks to go, there is no defining matter that has seized the minds of the electorate and driven the debate between candidates. Article content Now there doesn’t necessarily have to be such a topic. Not every election is a referendum on a divisive matter. But there are examples of previous Toronto mayoral elections that have been strongly defined by a single issue. Article content Article content Article content When David Miller was elected mayor in 2003, a defining issue was the island airport and Miller’s opposition to a bridge to it. I can still vividly recall standing on the subway platform staring at fear-mongering campaign ads showing 747s coming in for landing on the island. Article content Channel Israel Columnist Jesse Kline keeps you up to date with what’s happening in Israel and the effects of antisemitism on life here in Canada. Friday mornings. Sign Up By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Article content Miller also did a good job of casting City Hall as corrupt and in need of cleaning up, which he did with the popular visual of holding a broom over his head at campaign rallies. Article content The island airport was an odd referendum question in that it didn’t impact many voters’ daily lives and certainly not their pocketbooks, but vibes and nostalgia are powerful political tools and Miller used them to his advantage. Article content Speaking of vibes, when Rob Ford won the 2010 mayoralty it wasn’t on any specific platform points but on his well-known refrain to stop the gravy train. This message resonated with many people who felt forgotten by and shut out of City Hall for too long. From that message, the enduring political tribe of…