Toronto residents are expected to head to the polls to elect a new mayor on June 26, the city clerk announced Thursday, setting out a timeline for the race to replace John Tory.
Tory, who was elected to a third term in October, resigned last week after revealing he had an “inappropriate affair” with someone who used to work on his staff.
City clerk John D. Elvidge said the June date for the mayoral byelection is subject to council officially declaring the mayor’s office vacant and passing a bylaw requiring a byelection when it meets on March 29.
That would result in nominations for the race opening April 3 and closing May 12, with advance voting available from June 8 to 13.
“Although the City Clerk would not ordinarily fix or announce dates in advance of Council passing a bylaw, in this circumstance the City Clerk considers it to be in the best interests of the City, candidates and electors to announce the applicable byelection dates as early as possible,” the city wrote in a statement.
Making the dates public also allows the clerk to start making election preparations that include hiring staff and booking voting locations, the city said.
The estimated budget for the byelection is about $13 million, compared to the $14.5 million spent for the Oct. 24 general election, the city said.
Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie, who assumed some of Tory’s powers in the interim, has said she has no plans to run for the city’s top job. She said she was focused entirely on a smooth transition and continued good governance.
Whoever becomes Toronto’s next mayor will gain new “strong mayor” powers granted by the provincial government – McKelvie does not have those privileges in her interim role.
The powers include veto privileges over bylaws that conflict with provincial priorities, such as building housing. They also give mayors the responsibility for preparing and tabling their city’s budget and the ability to pass it with one-third council approval.
Political observers have said they expect the mayoral race to be a hotly contested one.
Tory, 68, had cultivated an image in office as a straitlaced moderate conservative.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford had voiced for support Tory before his departure and said it would be a “disaster” if he resigned and a “lefty” mayor replaced him.
Gil Penalosa, mayoral runner-up in October’s election, has said he will run again. Josh Matlow, a progressive councillor and Tory critic, said last week he was “strongly considering” a run for mayor.
Toronto’s integrity commissioner is investigating Tory’s relationship with the former staffer. Commissioner Jonathan Batty said Tory told him about the matter and asked him to review it on Feb. 10, the same day the former mayor announced he would be resigning.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 23, 2023.
