What to know
- Bonnie Crombie is reportedly set to register as a candidate for Mississauga mayor on July 14 after resigning from the role in 2024 to pursue provincial politics.
- Incumbent Mayor Carolyn Parrish criticized Crombie’s return, arguing Mississauga already has the stable leadership Crombie says the city needs.
- Social media users are divided, with some accusing Crombie of abandoning the city for higher office while others say she was an effective mayor and deserves another chance.
- Crombie will face Parrish, councillors Alvin Tedjo and Dipika Damerla in the Oct. 26 Mississauga mayoral election.
After stepping down from the position to enter provincial politics in 2024, Bonnie Crombie may be once again vying for the job of Mississauga mayor — and many people are side-eyeing her ambitions to resume the role.
In a message to supporters obtained by media outlets, former Mississauga Mayor Crombie says that she will officially register as a candidate in the Mississauga leadership race on July 14. Additionally, while she did not confirm her plans to run, in a video posted to social media from Liberal MP Iqra Khalid’s community BBQ this weekend, Crombie told constituents that Mississauga has strong councillors but needs strong, steady, experienced leadership.
After the retirement of long-standing mayor Hazel McCallion, Crombie took the helm of Mississauga as mayor in 2014. She led the Peel municipality for a decade before resigning in 2024, during the middle of her third term, to enter the leadership race for the Ontario Liberal Party, which she secured that year.
Crombie failed to secure a seat in the legislature in a snap provincial election in 2025. This led to the provincial Liberals having a vote on whether they should have another leadership race. While 57 per cent of members voted against a new election, Crombie resigned from the position soon after.
“Well well. Bonnie Crombie announced today, at a community BBQ, that Mississauga needs stable leadership. I agree!” Parrish posted on X, sharing a clip of herself and Crombie on CP24 following Parish’s win in 2024, with Crombie congratulating and showing support for her successor.
“I believe, in fact we have that now! No aspirations to other levels of government. Total dedication to our city. Hopefully we all agree with Ms. Crombie!” Parish continued.
“She left Mississauga to pursue other political ambitions and Mississauga continued very well without her,” one person commented under Parrish’s post. “And what she did cost us over half a million dollars. Mississauga residents cannot and should not forget this.”
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“Actually? The by-elections $3.5m,” Parrish responded.
Earlier this year, Ontario Premier Doug Ford had said that if Crombie did enter the upcoming election, he would be fully backing Parrish, saying he would “send an army down here” to help her.
Meanwhile, a lot of people on social media are voicing their thoughts on Crombie’s intentions to enter the race. Some are unimpressed.
“She abandoned the city for her own ambition. She failed and wants to be mayor again. Don’t vote for her. She’s only in it for herself,” one person posted to X.
“She abandoned her job already. Now want to get it back?” another X user questioned. “She has no shame.”
“She dropped them months ago and failed at the provincial level and now she’s looking to have them take her back ??? The audacity.”
Meanwhile, some people are in support of her returning to the top job in the municipality.
“Maybe they feel differently about her returning as mayor than they did about having her as Premier,” one Redditor commented.
“She was a good mayor before she sought the Liberal leadership,” another person commented on the forum. “I hope she gets her old job back.”
Crombie will be running against current Mississauga City Councillors Alvin Tedjo and Dipika Damerla, as well as incumbent Mayor Carolyn Parrish, who took to social media to share a slight dig at the former mayor. The Mississauga mayoral election is set for Oct. 26.
