Olivia Chow elected as Toronto mayor for second term in victory for progressives

Tightly fought election saw record turnout as incumbent mayor ran against her Conservative rival Brad Bradford

The mayor of Toronto, Olivia Chow, promised more rental housing, free school lunches and reduce fares for frequent transit riders after she was elected to a decisive second term as mayor in a wave of support for progressives councillors.

The tightly fought election saw record turnout but Chow ultimately turned in a dominant 13 percentage point win over her Conservative rival, Brad Bradford, receiving 54% of the vote compared to Bradford’s 41%. Many had been expecting a far closer race, given weeks of polling that suggested a dead heat between the pair who presented differing visions for Canada’s largest city.