Former mayoral candidate Olivia Chow considering another run to become Toronto’s mayor
Former councillor Olivia Chow is contemplating another run for mayor of Toronto.
“I want to let you know I am considering running,” Chow told CP24 Monday. “I love this city and I know it can be so much better — for everyone.”
She posted a similar message in a tweet Monday morning.
Chow served as a councillor in Toronto from 1991 to 2005 and then as an NDP member of parliament for Trinity-Spadina from 2006 until 2014.
She ran for mayor in 2014, placing third behind John Tory and Doug Ford.
Speaking with CP24 Monday, Toronto Metropolitan University Professor Myer Siemiatycki said her entry marks a “big development in the race.”
“I think Olivia Chow will be a credible and formidable campaigner,” Siemiatycki said.
The widow of late federal NDP leader Jack Layton, Chow has deep roots with the NDP and could potentially rally the left in the upcoming byelection.
Despite the fact that Chow placed third in her 2014 bid, Siemiatycki said “second chances are possible in Toronto mayoral elections.” He pointed to the fact that John Tory lost a race to David Miller before returning to win the mayor’s office years later and said that if Chow runs, she will likely “take stock of some of the lessons” learned in her previous run.
He said the dynamics of the current race could also work in her favour.
“Even in that campaign (2014), she received about 25 per cent of the vote,” he said. “Given the large number of candidates who will be in this upcoming byelection horse race, 25 per cent could easily be enough of the share of the votes cast to bring them in to win the mayoralty. So I would say she's in a very strong position.”
A crowded field of contenders has emerged to replace former mayor John Tory, with a number of right-leaning and right-of-centre candidates in the race.
However, there are fewer left-leaning candidates with strong name recognition.
Former councillor Mike Layton, Chow’s step-son, has said previously that he will not run.
There has been some speculation that given the crowded field, a strong left-wing candidate might be able to come up the middle in a split-vote situation.
Siemiatycki said that while mayoral candidates typically try to run “big tent” campaigns to appeal to as many types of voters as possible, the crowded field could mean that a candidate who runs a more targeted campaign could be successful.
“This time around, micro-targeting might be the ticket to success and I imagine we are going to see candidates running virtually on single issues or single messages. And it will be interesting to see how Olivia Chow positions herself in this campaign,” Siemiatycki said.
Nominations officially open on April 3 and the vote to choose a new mayor is set to take place on June 26.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Another suspect arrested in Toronto Pearson airport gold heist: police
Another suspect is in custody in connection with the gold heist at Toronto Pearson International Airport last year, police say.
Poilievre-led government 'would never' use notwithstanding clause on abortion, his office says
A Conservative government led by Pierre Poilievre would not legislate on, nor use the notwithstanding clause, on abortion, his office says, as anti-abortion protesters gather on Parliament Hill.
Why these immigrants to Canada say they're thinking about leaving, or have already moved on
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
Miss Teen USA steps down just days after Miss USA's resignation
Miss Teen USA resigned Wednesday, sending further shock waves through the pageant community just days after Miss USA said she would relinquish her crown.
Cyclist strikes child crossing the street to catch school bus in Montreal
A video circulating on social media of a young girl being hit by a bike has some calling for better safety and more caution when designing bike lanes in the city. The video shows a four-year-old girl crossing Jeanne-Mance Street in Montreal's Plateau neighbourhood to get on a school bus stopped on the opposite side of the street
BREAKING 6 injured in Sharbot Lake, Ont. crash; 2 in life-threatening condition
Ontario Provincial Police say six people have suffered severe injuries in a single-vehicle crash in Sharbot Lake, Ont, including two in life-threatening condition.