What to know
- Edward Gong has officially entered the Toronto mayoral race again after previously running in the 2023 by-election.
- He gained attention in 2023 for a highly visible campaign across the city but finished 11th with just under 3,000 votes.
- Since then, Gong has continued running in other elections, including the 2024 Mississauga mayoral by-election and the 2025 federal election in Don Valley North.
- His return to Toronto’s mayoral race has sparked lighthearted commentary, including a councillor joking that “the gong show is back in town.”
The Toronto mayoral election season has officially begun, and one familiar candidate is throwing his name into the ring. That’s right, Edward Gong is back for round two.
You may know him as Xiao Hua Gong, the candidate from the 2023 mayoral by-election whose face was plastered across the city, with campaign signs on what felt like every corner and billboard ads lighting up Sankofa Square.
If you stepped outside during the by-election, chances are you were greeted by one of Gong’s now-infamous signs.
And this mayoral race could be shaping up for another Gong takeover. He officially registered for this year’s race and called it an honour in a recent Instagram post.
“My commitment to serving residents, supporting communities, and working toward a better future for our city remains as strong as ever,” Gong said. “Over the coming months, I will continue listening to residents, bringing people together, and doing my very best to help create a safer, more affordable, more innovative, and more prosperous Toronto.”
Gong, a Chinese-Canadian businessman, finished 11th in the 2023 by-election with just under 3,000 votes.
He later set his sights on Mississauga during the 2024 mayoral by-election following former mayor Bonnie Crombie’s resignation.
In 2025, Gong also ran as an independent candidate in the federal election for the Don Valley North riding.
Toronto city councillor Mike Colle poked fun at Gong’s return in an Instagram post, writing: “The gong show is back in town!”
