Olivia Chow emerged as the victor in the Toronto mayoral byelection held on June 26. With a total of 269,372 votes (37.16 percent), Chow defeated Ana Bailão, who secured 235,175 votes (32.46 percent). The two conservative candidates, Mark Saunders and Anthony Furey, finished in third and fourth place respectively with 8.59 percent and 4.96 percent of the votes. This outcome highlights the challenge faced by conservatives in running for the position of mayor in Canada.
Toronto, being a liberal and progressive city, tends to favor candidates with a center to center-left platform during elections. This trend has become stronger since Toronto became a federated municipality in 1953. The majority of Toronto’s mayors, including Allan Lamport, Philip Givens, John Sewell, Art Eggleton, June Rowlands, Barbara Hall, David Miller, and Olivia Chow, align with this ideological mindset.
However, this does not mean that there haven’t been conservative mayors in Toronto. Leslie Howard Saunders, Nathan Phillips, Donald Dean Summerville, William Dennison, David Crombie, Fred Beavis (interim), Mel Lastman, Rob Ford, and John Tory have all held the position at some point. These conservative mayors, though, were generally regarded as Red Tories or left-leaning Conservatives. Their fiscal conservatism was coupled with social centrism/liberalism, attracting support from not only conservatives but also Liberals, New Democrats, and others.
Rob Ford, the exception, incorporated conservative-leaning principles such as fiscal prudence and lower taxes, alongside centrist/populist philosophies focused on fighting for the common person and ending wasteful spending. This approach, known as “Ford Nation,” appealed to a broader range of supporters, including Liberals and NDP members.
During the recent Toronto mayoral byelection, incumbent mayor John Tory endorsed Ana Bailão instead of Mark Saunders or Anthony Furey. Despite being occasionally behind the conservative candidates, Bailão, self-identifying as a pragmatic centrist, shared a similar ideological category with Tory, which influenced his endorsement. Doug Ford, the Ontario PC Premier, endorsed Saunders, while another conservative candidate, Rob Davis, endorsed Furey, reflecting their differing political ideologies from that of Tory.
It is crucial to note that Chow’s victory does not mark the end of 13 years of strict conservative rule in Toronto. Different conservative mayors have governed the city throughout this period, demonstrating that not all conservatives are the same.
This situation is not unique to Toronto but extends to other Canadian cities as well. Calgary, for instance, has had mayors who lean toward the Liberal or left-leaning side, including Jyoti Gondek, Naheed Nenshi, Dave Bracconnier, Al Duerr, and Ralph Klein. Similarly, Montreal and Vancouver, with their municipal party systems, have seen mayors predominantly representing the center/center-left ideologies. This pattern is also observed in cities like Regina, Saskatoon, Edmonton, Ottawa, Winnipeg, and Halifax.
Exceptions to this trend do exist, such as Brampton’s mayor Patrick Brown and St. Thomas’ mayor Joe Preston, who have conservative affiliations. However, these mayors tend to adopt moderate or tempered positions to appeal to a broader range of voters, diluting their political messaging in the process.
When it comes to municipal issues like infrastructure maintenance, zoning laws, taxation, and affordable housing, ideological rigidity can hinder progress. Residents prioritize safety, affordability, transparency, and environmental sustainability in their communities, which align more closely with the values of Liberals, New Democrats, and other progressive candidates. As a result, true conservatives often find themselves on the outskirts of the political landscape.
It is important to note that the views expressed in this article represent the author’s opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.