Olivia Chow has won the Toronto mayoral by-election after maintaining a strong lead in the polls throughout the mayoral race.
The mayor-elect becomes the first woman of colour to become mayor of Toronto.
“Toronto is a place of hope. A place of second chances. A city where an immigrant kid from St. James Town can be standing in front of you as your new mayor,” she said in her victory speech Monday evening.
Chow defeated numerous high profile opposition, including former police officer Mark Saunders, and Ana Bailão, whose campaign saw a late spike in popularity after an endorsement from former mayor John Tory.
Chow received more than 37 per cent of the votes, followed by Bailão with more than 32 per cent, and Mark Saunders with more than eight per cent.
Early results after the polls closed showed Bailão in the lead for a short amount of time in a surprising turn of events, but Chow ultimately took the lead. Official election results can be found here.
READ MORE: John Tory endorses Ana Bailão for mayor of Toronto
The election was called in February when Tory resigned after admitting to having an affair with a former employee in his office.
Prime Minster Justin Trudeau congratulated Chow on her win saying, he’s “looking forward to working together to deliver results for Torontonians.”
Premier Doug Ford also congratulated Chow saying, “she has proven her desire and dedication to serving the city.”
“While we’re not always going to agree on everything, what we can agree on is our share commitment to making Toronto a place where businesses, families, and workers can thrive,” he added.
Ford’s congratulations comes after he said during a news conference last week that her win would be an “unmitigated disaster.”
After thanking all her supporters and volunteers, Chow went on to list some of her priorities that she’ll tackle as mayor in her victory speech.
“Building more affordable housing. Making TTC safer, faster and more reliable. Keeping Ontario Place public where my grandkids and I can watch the sunset and skip stones. Building a city that cares, that’s what we’re all about,” she said.
Chow has been a long time advocate for those in need. She has spent time as a school board trustee, Toronto City Councillor from 1992 to 2005, a member of the City’s budget committee, and local NDP Member of Parliament from 2006 to 2014.
READ MORE: Toronto mayoral candidates share their thoughts on if front-runner Olivia Chow is elected
Chow captured public attention during her mayoral campaign with appeals for more affordable housing, efficient and reliable public transportation, groceries that don’t cost an arm and a leg, and for her universal defence in favour of public services.
After moving to Toronto from Hong Kong at the age of 13, and growing up in a single income household in Toronto, Chow has lived experience relying on government funded services, and understands the pressing need to make them accessible, structurally sound, properly run and sufficiently funded.
Chow was married to late federal NDP leader Jack Layton from 1988 until his death in August 2011.
Her policies aim to provide catch-all support for under-funded resources that everyday people rely on. She has promised to provide financial support to the city’s libraries, and reassured working class communities of improved access to daycare for small children, dental services and dependable transit.
She has been a long time supporter for the protection of young people, children and immigrants, having implemented school food programs for children living in poverty, and promising to provide government funded aid to renters who are fearful or soaring rates, with a firm goal to reduce the risk of eviction.
Chow has come out in strong support of small businesses, and will urgently address the homelessness crisis. Her concern for preserving centres for education and recreation, such as The Science Centre in the Flemingdon and Thorncliffe neighbourhoods, are in line with her desire to protect local communities from corporate expansion, further reinforced by her opposition to plans to develop Ontario Place into private property.
