What to know
- Sarah McVie, best known for her role on Workin’ Moms, has officially registered as a candidate for Toronto’s 2026 mayoral election.
- She says her campaign is driven by what she hears from residents: a sense that people feel unheard and disconnected from city leadership.
- McVie is focusing on grassroots outreach, planning to visit all city wards to listen directly to residents before proposing solutions.
- She describes her campaign around “courage, cooperation, and innovation,” and says success would mean rebuilding trust and fostering connection across the city.
Sarah McVie has worn many titles in her life: advocate, educator, Canadian Screen Award-nominated actress, and now, she hopes to add Mayor of Toronto to her resume.
McVie is best known for playing Val on the CBC comedy Workin’ Moms, for which she received three CSA nominations for Best Supporting Performance in a Comedy Series in 2021, 2022, and 2024. On May 1, she officially registered as a candidate for the 2026 mayoral election.
While she may not be a familiar face in politics, she is a familiar presence to viewers who watched her on screen.
Now, after years of earning the trust of Torontonians through laughter and entertainment, McVie says she hopes residents will entrust her to lead the city, and tackle the issues that matter most to them.
“What I’m hearing from neighbours all over the city is that they’re not feeling heard, and there’s a disconnect between leadership and the lived reality on the ground,” McVie said. “So I’m offering myself to serve as public servant number one, and to act in the best interests of all of us.”
McVie moved to her current neighbourhood in 2021, an area she describes as facing “a lot of suffering” and broken infrastructure. As an advocate, she has been on the ground fighting for change, and now she hopes to make a difference from within the system.
Despite her on-the-ground experience, she acknowledges there’s always more to learn. Because of that, her campaign is currently focused on connecting with people and, above all, listening.
“I am meeting people where they are in real life, on the ground. And by that, I mean physically going to every single ward. It’s so important for me to do this work if I want this job, which I do, and to actually meet with people and listen to them,” she said.
McVie describes her campaign using three words: courage, cooperation, and innovation. She says these values reflect her goal of inviting people to participate in shaping the city.
“This is crucial when addressing hot-button issues. Solutions can only be found through collaboration,” she said. “People will have different opinions, and some ideas will be challenging, but we’re going to tackle them together.”
Acknowledging the long road ahead, McVie admits she may face skepticism for being an actress. Still, she says she is ready to roll up her sleeves and get to work.
“There’s a real, widespread lack of trust in leadership. We could have a really great democracy. We could be a beacon in the world right now,” she said.
The decision to run wasn’t easy, but over the past few months, McVie says it felt like something she had to do.
For her, success isn’t just about winning, it’s about fostering connection and joy.
“Success looks like people connecting with each other in ways they haven’t before, looking up from their devices, and wanting to be present in the world with each other,” she said.
“I want people to feel like this is our government. We build it, we participate in it. And there’s pride in that,” McVie said.
The 2026 municipal election is scheduled for October 26, with nominations closing on August 21.
