Top Toronto mayoral candidates target frontrunner Chow in first major debate

Five of the main candidates answered questions about how they would address the soaring cost of living and food insecurity in the first major debate of Toronto’s mayoral campaign.

Monday night’s event was hosted by the Daily Bread Food Bank in Etobicoke and featured five of the six top polling candidates. Ana Bailão, Brad Bradford, Olivia Chow, Mitzie Hunter and Josh Matlow appeared on stage while former Toronto police chief Mark Saunders declined an invitation.

Donation bins in front of the candidate podiums were full of food, serving as a reminder of the affordability crisis currently plaguing the city.

Chow, widely considered the frontrunner according to most polls, was grilled by the other candidates about where the funding for her proposed plans will come from.

“How much are you going to jack everybody’s taxes here in Toronto?” questioned Bradford.

Chow maintained she knows the city budget well, and says she didn’t mind being the target of the other four.

“I’m glad that I got all the questions,” she says. “It gave me the opportunity to talk more about what I stood for. I think they may want to learn more about what I have to offer.”

Related: What are the top Toronto Mayoral candidates promising if elected?

Chow meanwhile, focused on Bradford and his recent decision to vote for TTC service cuts.

“How could you do that? Why did you vote for that?” asked Chow.

“Being in government is about making tough decisions.” Bradford responded.

The debate was briefly interrupted when a heckler got on stage. He was able to rip down the stages’ backdrop before being escorted out by police. The heckler was later identified as fellow mayoral candidate Kevin Clarke.

“He expresses himself in the way that he chooses to,” said Hunter, speaking to reporters following the debate. “It’s important that we are respectful and that we hold space for people.”

A man has just stormed the stage. He’s been escorted out by police. pic.twitter.com/EAYKgzTzDg

— Michelle Mackey (@michellemackey) May 16, 2023

Saunders’ team says he declined the invitation to appear on Monday night’s stage due to a longstanding conflict.

More than 200 residents watched Monday night’s debate in person.

A total of 102 candidates have registered to run for mayor in the byelection set for June 26, including a dog named Molly. The remainder of the candidates are invited to share their thoughts on the city’s affordability crisis on the Daily Bread Food Bank’s website.

It’s the highest number of candidates ever registered to run for mayor, surpassing the previous high of 65 in the 2014 municipal election. In 2022, there were 31 candidates seeking the mayor’s job.

Recent polls suggest Chow has widened her lead over the other top candidates, despite many voters still remaining undecided. The latest survey from Liaison Strategies showed Chow with 20 per cent support amongst all voters and 30 per cent support amongst only decided voters.

Saunders was second amongst decided voters (16 per cent), while Coun. Josh Matlow placed third (15 per cent).

Bailão, Bradford, Chow, Hunter, Matlow and Saunders have been formally invited to take the stage next week for another debate at the University of Toronto Scarborough campus. CityNews political affairs specialist Cynthia Mulligan will moderate the 90-minute debate which will be broadcast on Citytv and CityNews 24/7 starting at 6:30 p.m. on May 24.

With files from CityNews reporter Michelle Mackey