John Tory confirms he’s not going to run for mayor again

Former Toronto mayor John Tory has confirmed that he will not join the mayoral race in 2026. 

Amid speculation about Tory’s plans to come back to City Hall, the former mayor has released a statement on Tuesday confirming he will not be running for office again. 

According to him, although he had seriously considered running again, he has decided to sit out of the race to preserve his family from personal attacks. 

“I want to thank all of those who have been urging me to run again…You’ve given me a lot to think about and I want to assure you I have given it serious consideration,” he said in a statement shared on social media. 

“I will not be running. And not because I lack the energy or the desire. I will not be running for mayor because I feel I cannot put my family and the people I care about through the inevitable attacks on me and my personal life that we’ve started to see even before I’ve announced my intentions.”

It was the honour of a lifetime to have served as mayor of this city, the city I love and will always hold dearly in my heart.

You’ve given me a lot to think about and I want to assure you I have given it serious consideration.

But I will not be running in the 2026 election. pic.twitter.com/lmu2sm6Kgb

— John Tory (@JohnTory) March 3, 2026

Tory also said he currently has no plans to endorse any other mayoral candidates, but “won’t hesitate to do so.” He said he will continue to lead charitable and volunteer work across the city, including during city events such as TIFF or with organizations like the Scarborough Health Network. 

The former mayor said that, if he were to be in office again, he would focus on making the city attractive to talent, businesses, and investments. 

“To do that we need a safe city where regardless of statistics, people actually feel safe; a city where open-air drug use on our streets and encampments in our parks are not normalized and just accepted; where the transit system is reliable, efficient and safe; and where the city government makes an effort every single year,” he added. 

Tory was the mayor of Toronto from 2014 until 2023, when he resigned the position after admitting to have cheated on his wife with a former employee. 

In 2025, rumours started circulating that the former mayor would run for office again, but Tory had yet to confirm his intentions publicly. 

According to a recent poll by Mainstream Research, Tory held 34 per cent of support for re-election, only nine points behind current Mayor Olivia Chow.

Who is in the race? 

Coun. Brad Bradford is the only one to throw his hat in the ring so far, confirming his intentions to run for mayor during an exclusive interview with The Brandon Gonez Show last year. 

Reacting to Tory’s statement on Tuesday, the councillor revealed the former mayor gave him his support when he first decided to join the race, and said he respects his decision.

“The personal sacrifice that comes with public office is immense and it is often overlooked. It is a massive challenge for the people closest to you, and they have to come first. I have a lot of respect for John’s decision, and I wish him the very best,” he said in a statement on X (formerly known as Twitter). 

Current Mayor Olivia Chow has yet to confirm her intentions to run for re-election, having told Now Toronto last year that she still has different priorities to consider before making a decision. 

The next municipal election is set to take place on Oct. 26, 2026. Residents can find more information about the race on the City of Toronto website.