More than 100 candidates, including a former police chief, a comedian and a dog, are all vying for the chance to be mayor of Canada’s largest city.
One hundred and two prospective mayors formally registered before Friday’s deadline as candidates in the mayoral byelection at the end of June.
The current three-term mayor, John Tory, abruptly resigned in February, after admitting to an extramarital affair with a former staff member. Tory had won re-election only four months before.
The deputy mayor, Jennifer McKelvie, has served as interim mayor since Tory’s departure and is not running as a candidate.
Olivia Chow, who placed third in the 2014 mayoral election that Tory won, is seen as the current frontrunner, ahead of former provincial lawmaker Mitzie Hunter, councillors Ana Bailão, Brad Bradford and Josh Matlow and former police chief Mark Saunders.
Ontario’s premier, Doug Ford, who previously said he wouldn’t weigh in on the election, has tacitly endorsed Saunders. “We need someone who has experience dealing with crime. I believe we need someone that has actually run an operation with a number of employees that has the experience,” said Ford. “We need someone in Toronto that knows all of Toronto, not a little ward that they’ve been representing, but all of Toronto.”
Leading candidates are campaigning on fixing Toronto’s transit system, addressing a cost of living crisis in the city and overhauling controversial infrastructure, like the Gardiner expressway. But the record number of entrants has also lured in a cast of long-shot hopefuls.
One of the last candidates to register was Molly, a seven-year-old Russian rescue dog. Owner Toby Heaps, who arrived at city hall on rollerblades, said he was a stand-in for the dog.
He told reporters Molly’s biggest concerns were the city’s use of winter road salt, which hurts her paws. He also said a victory for Molly would lead to more “civilized discourse” during council meetings. “You’ve probably noticed when you have an animal in the room, people are more human.”
Another candidate, grade 12 student Meir Straus, promised on his campaign website he is “definitely a real man and NOT three raccoons in a trench coat”.
Meir (pronounced “mayor”), says his focus will be on “weed-smell, roundabouts, organ-shortages, Canada geese, God, labour, street preachers, hipsters, uncomfortable benches”, adding that he’s the youngest candidate, so he won’t die in office. He also says because he’s not married, he can’t have any affairs.
Early voting begins 8 June until 13 June, with election day 26 June.