Toronto’s former police chief and a city councillor join mayoral race.

The race for Toronto’s mayoral seat has been intensified with the announcement of two prominent leaders, City Councillor Josh Matlow and former Police Chief Mark Saunders, joining the already crowded field of contenders. The formal nomination period is yet to open, but other hopefuls include former City Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti, former Toronto Sun Columnist Anthony Furey, and Gil Peñalosa. The crowded field may see candidates attempt to carve out a small, well-defined slice of electoral backing, rather than try to build a broad base of support, as predicted by Myer Siemiatycki, an observer of Toronto’s politics. Saunders’ top priority is restoring a sense of “community safety,” while Matlow pledges to increase taxes to support city services. Ana Bailão also announced her return to municipal politics, deviating from her role as Deputy Mayor under John Tory, with her own vision of improving city services and affordability. The nomination period for the mayoral race opens on April 3, with a byelection expected on June 26.