In her victory speech on Monday night, Chow thanked both her supporters and Bradford, saying, “I know we share a love for Toronto and a belief in its future. We can disagree on how we get there, or what it looks like, but I do not doubt we both want what is best for our city.”
The result marks a win for progressive urban politics at a time when cost-of-living concerns have unseated governments elsewhere. Chow’s total of more than 532,000 votes nearly doubled her 2023 tally, and a wave of progressive council candidates also succeeded, including Diana McNally Chan, a well-known advocate for unhoused people who will become the first renter on city council.
Bradford, a former city councillor and urban planner, had campaigned heavily on rising costs and crime, telling residents he slept with a baseball bat next to his bed. While auto theft and high-value property crime have increased, homicides, firearms-related violence and assault have all dropped significantly in recent years. Bradford promised tax cuts and a larger police force, and criticised Chow for not attending a debate on antisemitism. Chow had responded by expanding the police hate crimes unit and introducing a “bubble zone” bylaw barring protests within 50 metres of places of worship and schools.
In his concession speech, Bradford struck a conciliatory note: “I want her to succeed. And my supporters and the nearly 400,000 people that cast a vote for us tonight, they want her to succeed too. We all love this city. We know it can be better.” He also acknowledged that no incumbent seeking re-election in Canada’s largest city has ever lost.
Chow appears to have managed a fraught relationship with Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who called her an “unmitigated disaster” in 2023 but this time said the pair had a “phenomenal relationship” and told reporters to “read between the lines” about his preferred candidate. A clash over the city’s bike lanes is expected, and affordability pressures are likely to dominate the new council’s agenda.