Toronto’s mayor has refused to say whether she’s running for re-election in 2026 and is now unveiling budget decisions, which could doom a potential campaign, saying they would be weighted higher if they put the city in a position to succeed.
Olivia Chow has shot down re-election questions for months, shifting the conversation each time to the upcoming budget season. Even with Coun. Brad Bradford’s rival campaign already underway, and other political groups posting daily calls for change on social media, Chow often points out that there are still several months to go before any decisions are made.
It was no different during a year-end interview with Global News at the City Hall’s fitness centre, where Chow exercises every morning before tending to her mayoral duties. She wouldn’t directly say if she’s gearing up for a race.
But the mayor did say she will favour budget decisions that could sink her politically, if they put Toronto on the right track.
“Absolutely, I will prioritize the budget anytime, because the rest is political consideration. I’m just one person,” said Chow.
“Show that the City Hall cares about you; that is what is the most important piece.”
The mayor also thinks the majority of city councillors share her opinion when it comes to the direction of the city.
Still, Chow is keeping any decisions that may come after the Feb. 10 special council budget meeting close to the vest. The mayor is deflecting questions about whether she thinks being coy now will give voters enough time to make a decision, or whether beginning a campaign in late winter is cutting it close to find campaign staff.
“I’m thinking about how do I help those homeowners or renters, that after the holidays in the new year, how are they going to be able to pay the bills?” she said.
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Bradford, who represents an eastern Toronto ward, already launched his mayoral campaign a full year (and arguably earlier) ahead of the fall election. Bradford, who finished a distant eighth in the mayoral byelection, has been a vocal critic of Chow’s, saying the city has grown unaffordable and that residents have never felt more unsafe.
Chow counters that, saying Toronto police’s major crime indicators have been trending downward, including homicides, which are less than half of 2024’s totals. Police staffing levels have been the focus of the past two budgets Chow has put forward, but she isn’t crediting the declining rates to just hiring more officers.
“A big piece, too, is giving young people hope,” she said, pointing to efforts to create more opportunities for youth by partnering with neighbourhood agencies.
“It really has an impact; gun violence with young people has also dropped dramatically,” Chow said.
Still, even as some crime rates are dropping, Chow acknowledged more attention needs to be devoted to combating antisemitism, Islamophobia and anti-Black racism. Even with the police service’s program focusing on policing protests and increasing its presence among targeted communities, combined with city programming to counter hate speech, Chow said a lot more work needs to be done.
2025 proved to be another year where the mayor needed to walk a tightrope while balancing criticisms directed at provincial overreach, all while maintaining a healthy working relationship with the Progressive Conservative government. At times, it boiled over with Premier Doug Ford even suggesting there was a need to mix things up with City Hall leadership next fall.
Still, Chow thinks she has a strong working relationship with Ford.
But Chow shrugged when asked if she thinks next year will see Ford once again wade into municipal affairs, adding she still thinks it was a mistake that his government removed the city’s power to have automated speed enforcement cameras.
“They didn’t want them. All of them are gone! Which is too bad, because I think they worked really well,” she said.
Chow also said it makes sense for both the provincial and federal governments to maintain good working relationships with the city, because all three share a common goal of building more housing. Even with the sagging housing market, Chow said the city’s plan to incentivize affordable rental housing is working and government support will help keep that going in 2026.
“Two-thirds of the buildings happening in the city, home building, are done either through us or because we gave incentives,” Chow said. The program has been proven to work, she added. All that’s missing now is the funding to help advance another 12,500 homes built.
While Chow is unwilling to reveal her plans for next October, she did share her New Year’s resolution, which includes plans to continue taking “ride-alongs” with different sectors of the municipality’s public service. By understanding what civic workers like paramedics and shelter staff are facing on a daily basis, Chow said she could find ways to support them better. Part of it, she said, includes boosting their morale.
“Being on the front line with people delivering the service, appreciating them, encouraging them to do even better for the public,” said Chow, “I think that is what I plan to do.”
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