What to know
- A Liaison Strategies poll shows Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow leading the mayoral race with 44 per cent support, 18 points ahead of city councillor Brad Bradford at 26 per cent.
- Former city councillor Michael Ford has 16 per cent support among decided and leaning voters and is considering entering the race.
- The poll of 1,000 Torontonians conducted March 6 to 8 suggests a shift after John Tory announced he will not run again.
- Undecided voters rose to 17 per cent, and the pollster says Tory’s former support appears to be splitting between Chow, Bradford and Ford.
A new poll suggests Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow has widened her lead over potential challengers following John Tory’s decision not to run again.
The survey from Liaison Strategies shows Chow with 44 per cent support among decided and leaning voters, putting her 18 points ahead of city councillor Brad Bradford, who sits at 26 per cent.
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Another 16 per cent of decided and leaning voters said they would support Michael Ford, former city councillor. Ford, the nephew of Ontario Premier Doug Ford, has recently told media outlets he is considering entering the race.
The poll surveyed 1,000 Torontonians between March 6 and March 8 using interactive voice response technology.
The results mark a shift from earlier polling conducted by Liaison Strategies in February that showed Chow and Tory in a close race and Bradford with 18 per cent of support.
The number of undecided voters has also increased, rising seven points from 10 per cent to 17 per cent.
David Valentin, principal of Liaison Strategies, told Now Toronto that Tory’s departure appears to have split his former support among Chow, Bradford, and Ford.
Despite Bradford gaining ground, Valentin said the numbers still put Chow in a strong position.
“With all of Mr. Bradford’s increase, she’s still 18 points ahead,” Valentin said. “You could give all of Mr. Ford’s points to Mr. Bradford and she would still be ahead. It would be a closer race, but she would still be ahead.”
Valentin also pointed to Chow’s name recognition as a key advantage.
“She has 100 per cent name recognition. That’s not true for Mr. Bradford, a lot of people don’t know who he is,” he said. “This is an opportunity for him to continue educating voters about his campaign and what he wants to do.”
Toronto’s next municipal election is scheduled for Oct. 26. Bradford is currently the only candidate who has officially declared he will run for mayor.
