Toronto election 2022: Key ward races to watch

The Toronto municipal election was held on Monday and there were several wards that feature high profile candidates and closely contested races.

There are more than 30 candidates running for mayor in the City of Toronto, but Mayor John Tory took the victory with over 60 per cent of the vote.

Everything you need to know about how and where you can vote in the Toronto municipal election can be found here. Voters are encouraged to use the MyVote app for a full list of candidates in their ward.

Most incumbents who are running again appear to be in the driver seat in their respective wards, with a few exceptions, but there are eight wards where the incumbent is not seeking re-election.

Here are some key wards to keep an eye on election night.

Ward 1 – Etobicoke North

WINNER: Vincent Crisanti
For the first time in 22 years there will be no Ford on the ballot in Etobicoke-North.

City council appointed Rose Milczyn to fill the Ward 1 seat left vacant by Michael Ford when he entered provincial politics earlier this year. He was elected as the Progressive Conservative MPP in the nearby riding of York South–Weston.

The appointment of Milczyn marked council’s second attempt to fill the seat. Rosemarie Bryan resigned hours she was appointed to the role after several homophobic and Islamophobic posts from her surfaced on social media.

Michael’s two uncles, former Toronto mayor Rob Ford and Ontario Premier Doug Ford, both served as local councillors prior to him.

A Forum Research poll taken last week suggested more than half of decided, or leaning, voters were favouring Vincent Crisanti. John Genser came in second place in the poll with 12 per cent of the vote, with Avtar Minhas not far behind.

“The Crisanti campaign is doing very well,” said Dr. Lorne Bozinoff, president of Forum Research. “It’s very likely we will see Crisanti take the win, possibly even with a majority.”

Crisanti, a former councillor, lost to Michael Ford in 2018 when the number of municipal wards was reduced from 44 to 25. He is promising to support investments that will benefit the community while advocating for lower taxes.

Minhas is vowing to advocate for affordable housing, youth programs, and fighting against climate change.

“I will advocate that more of the municipal budget goes toward building more houses to make it easier for you to buy a house,” Minhas says.

Ward 3 – Etobicoke-Lakeshore

WINNER: Amber Morley
Mark Grimes appears to be one of the few incumbent councillors who is facing a legitimate challenge from another candidate.

The poll for Etobicoke-Lakeshore, conducted last week, found Grimes leading with 34 per cent of the vote. Amber Morley trailed at 29 per cent, with Bonnie Hu at 24 per cent.

“This is going to be a close race,” Bozinoff says. “Grimes is in the lead, but Morley and even Hu are catching up. We could see this election go more than one way.”

Grimes was first elected in 2003 has been endorsed by incumbent mayor John Tory.

Morley ran against Grimes in the 2018 election and placed second. She has been endorsed by Progress Toronto and the Toronto-York Region Labour Council.

Her top priorities include policy around affordable housing, public transit, and improved public spaces.

“Growth in Toronto does not only mean condo-development,” Morley says. “I will work with all levels of government to ensure residents have access to a range of housing options, ownership, renting, supportive housing, innovative zoning and laneway housing.”

Ward 10 – Spadina-Fort York

WINNER: Ausma Malik
Joe Cressy resigned as councillor and chair of the Toronto Board of Health in April to take a position as a senior VP at George Brown College.

Cressy announced last fall he would not be seeking re-election in his Spadina–Fort York riding. City council appointed Joe Mihevc to fill the remainder of Cressy’s term on June 1. He is not running in the election.

There are 12 registered candidates running and polls conducted last week suggested Ausma Malik held a comfortable lead. Nearly a third of voters in the ward said they were still undecided.

“Malik’s support has dwindled slightly in the last couple of weeks, but she still maintains a moderate lead” says Bozinoff. “We can still expect to see her win Spadina-Fort York.”

Malik is a former Toronto District School Board Trustee for Ward 10 and has been endorsed by Cressy. She vows to advocate for “affordable housing, reliable green transit on safe roads, accessible community services, child care, more public spaces, and good jobs.”

Karlene Nation placed second in the polling at 15 per cent. Her platform promises fast-track affordable housing, support for small businesses that includes lower taxes, and increased community safety.

April Engelberg, a litigation lawyer, is running again after placing second to Cressy in 2018. She made headlines in September after advocating for a pedestrian lift bridge to the Toronto Islands.

“My goal is to make your daily life easier by decreasing your commute time, making our roads safer, improving our green space, green initiatives and building affordable housing,” Engelberg says.

Ward 11 – University-Rosedale

Veteran councillor Mike Layton announced he would not be running for re-election in University-Rosedale, saying it’s time for something that gives him more time to spend with his two young children.

Layton had been vocal on council over the past 12 years and worked on various issues, such as Net Zero by 2040, the Home Energy Loan Program, the Biodiversity Strategy, and affordable housing.

A poll conducted last month showed Dianne Saxe holding a 12-point lead over Robin Buxton Potts.

“This will very likely be a tight leadership race. Things could swing either way in these next few weeks,” said Bozinoff at the time of the poll in September.

Saxe is the former Environmental Commissioner of Ontario and deputy leader of the Green Party of Ontario and says her community roots and character will set her apart from other candidates.

“(Saxe) is a champion of smart housing policy, the new green economy, and properly integrated transit and mobility solutions,” reads her campaign website.

Buxton Potts was appointed as councillor for Ward 13 after Kristyn Wong-Tam resigned in May and is touting her experience.

“I’m the only candidate with the knowledge and firsthand experience to start delivering on Day 1,” she says. “I already have a proven record of delivering results here in Ward 11.”

Ward 13 – Toronto Centre

WINNER: Christopher Moise
Former city councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam left City Hall to run as an NDP candidate for Toronto Centre in the provincial election, where she won the seat in June.

Robin Buxton Potts was appointed to fill her council seat. Buxton Potts is running for councillor in Ward 11.

Polls conducted last week suggest a close race in Toronto Centre between Nikki Ward and Christopher Moise.

“Moise was ahead until very recently,” Bozinoff says. “Ward is now leading the polls, but it’s still a very close race. We could see this go either way.”

Moise was a Toronto District School Board Trustee for Ward 10 and has been endorsed by Progress Toronto and the Toronto-York Region Labour Council.

“I’m running because I bring proven leadership, elected experience, and community-building results that work,” Moise says.

He vows to build better transit and invest in programs that will help the community be safer and more affordable.

Ward was a candidate for the Green Party of Ontario in the 2022 provincial election. She says she sees a community in crisis and promises to be an advocate for housing, mental health and addiction, and safety.

“We urgently need strong representation, compassionate problem-solving and effective advocacy at City Hall,” Ward says.

Ward 16 – Don Valley East

WINNER: Jon Burnside
Don Valley East is shaping up to be one of the closest races this year in another ward where the incumbent is not running for re-election.

Denzil Minnan-Wong, a deputy mayor, was elected in 2018 and previously represented Ward 34 before that.

There are 11 candidates running to fill the seat and polls suggest a close three-way race between Jon Burnside, Stephen Ksiazek and Colin Mahovlich.

“This will be a tight race,” Bozinoff says. “Despite holding a moderate lead a couple of weeks ago, Burnside is now faced with some stiff competition.”

Burnside is a former councillor for Don Valley West and has been endorsed by Tory. He is also a former police officer and is campaigning on his desire to make the community safer for residents.

“Jon’s desire to help those in underserved communities and his experience in neighbourhoods plagued by gun violence prompted him to engage in community building from the ground up,” reads his campaign website.

Ksiazek has been endorsed by the Toronto Region and Labour Council and is focused on bringing city service levels back to residents by “bringing a customer service mindset to government.”

“For more than a decade I have worked as an advocate for our residents, fighting irresponsible development and holding government to the promises it made to our community,” Kwiazek says.

Mahovlich is the grandson of NHL hall of famer and former Liberal senator Frank Mahovlich. He says action needs to be taken to stop the city’s housing crisis.

“The effect this crisis is having on our community regarding homelessness, poverty, and economy is only going to get worse unless we act beyond the City of Toronto’s current 10 year plan for housing,” Mahovlich says.

Ward 18 – Willowdale

Markus O’Brien Fehr
Another expected close race is taking shape in Ward 18.

Long-time city councillor John Filion represented the riding on North York council and then Toronto since 1990. He announced he would not run for re-election.

According to a poll conducted last week, support is split between three candidates with Markus O’Brien Fehr starting to pull away with 38 per cent support. Lily Cheng was behind with 19 per cent, followed by Daniel Lee with 13 per cent.

“In the last couple of weeks, O’Brien Fehr has gained support, while his close contender, Cheng, has lost support,” Bozinoff says. “It’s still a close race, but things are looking better for O’Brien Fehr.”

Fehr is a member of Filion’s staff and has been endorsed by the incumbent as well as by John Tory.

“I’ve been proud to help steer city-building projects like ReImagine Yonge, the establishment of Willowdale’s first business improvement area and our five-year strategy to improve and grow our local parks,” reads Fehr’s campaign website.

Cheng ran against Filion in 2018 and placed second. She says the biggest issue in the ward is many of the constituents feel unheard.

“So many of our constituents do not speak English as a primary language and yet so little of our communications is done in other languages,” says Cheng. “We cannot continue to build a community where leaders are selective about who gets to participate.”

Lee is a pharmacist and entrepreneur and says he embraces policies that are “fiscally responsible,” while supporting seniors and vulnerable populations.

Ward 21 – Scarborough Centre

WINNER: Michael Thompson
Incumbent city councillor Michael Thompson says he still is seeking re-election and will remain as part of the council after two sexual assault charges were filed against him last month.

Ontario Provincial Police confirmed the charges against the 62-year-old, saying a report was filed earlier this month alleging sexual assaults had occurred at a residence in Muskoka sometime this year.

Thompson was first elected to city council in 2003 and sits on numerous committees and boards. He’s the chair of the economic and community development committee, a member of Mayor John Tory’s executive committee, and one of Tory’s ceremonial deputy mayors.

A spokesperson for Centennial College told CityNews that Thompson resigned as a Board member at the school, noting it would not be appropriate for him to continue serving while he faces the charges.

There are five other candidates running in Scarborough Centre. Thompson is still widely considered to be the frontrunner.

Ward 23 – Scarborough North

WINNER: Jamaal Myers
Cynthia Lai, the incumbent councillor for Scarborough North, died last week. The 68-year-old had been suffering from gallbladder cancer and was recently hospitalized.

The City notes that the ballots for election day had already been printed and could not be changed in time for Monday’s election. Any votes cast for Lai will not be counted and those who voted for her during the advanced voting period will not be able to vote again.

Polls conducted last week before Lai’s death showed her maintaining a slight lead among decided voters.

Jamaal Myers, a lawyer and transit advocate, polled second with 30 per cent support. Myers campaign has focused on cost of living, pedestrian safety, and public transit.

The other two candidates are Virginia Jones and Phillip Francis.