RACES TO WATCH: 4 Toronto wards without incumbent candidates
· Toronto Sun
See more Toronto Sun on Google — save as a Preferred Source
Visit asg-reflektory.pl for more information.
Ward 19: Beaches-East York
Thirteen people were gunning for mayoralty candidate Brad Bradford’s old councillor job, with the race seemingly between former provincial Liberal leadership candidate/federal cabinet minister Nate Erskine-Smith (with labour/Olivia Chow backing), who was leading over former CTV City Hall reporter Natalie Johnson (support from CUPE 416) in Forum’s poll a month ago.
Johnson has pledged to replace the Gardiner ramp and Erskine-Smith supports a new ramp at Cherry St.
Ward 14: Toronto-Danforth
No fewer than 18 candidates scrambled to run in this ward after longtime councillor Paula Fletcher abruptly abandoned her re-election bid.
The biggest name was councillor Dianne Saxe, who quit her own re-election campaign in University-Rosedale after Mike Layton decided to make a bid for a return to council.
Her biggest competitors were school trustee Sara Ehrhardt, leading Forum’s latest survey; former city councillor Mary Fragedakis, who ran provincially for the Liberals in 2022; and lawyer and frequent social media poster Caryma Sa’d.
Saxe built her rep on environmental policies, cycling and transit infrastructure.
Ward 11: University-Rosedale
Mike Layton was vying for a return to city hall after a four-year absence and was considered the man to beat out of 17 candidates, with affordable housing among his priorities.
As the son of late federal NDP leader Jack Layton and stepson of incumbent Mayor Olivia Chow, Layton previously served as the ward’s councillor for 12 years until 2022.
Ward 4: Parkdale-High Park
Without veteran Councillor Gord Perks running again, his perceived pick was Diana Chan McNally (with endorsements from former mayor David Miller, CUPE, the ATU, Progress Toronto), despite some contradictory campaign facts.
But one of her biggest competitors among the 21 candidates was TDSB trustee Debbie King (backing from the Toronto and York Region Labour Council, NDP MPP-turned-social-media poster Cheri DiNovo).
A third choice was Nadia Guerrera (backers include former Liberal premier Kathleen Wynne), who was a few points ahead of McNally in a Mainstreet Research poll released Thursday.
Guerrera has criticized the city’s weekend ban on cars in High Park while McNally supported a housing project at Swansea Mews despite residents’ chemical contamination concerns.