RACES TO WATCH: 4 Toronto wards without incumbent candidates

Beaches--East York was the former ward of councilllor-turned-mayoralty candidate Brad Bradford

Published Oct 26, 2026  •  2 minute read

Beaches-East York Liberal MP Nate Erskine-Smith answers questions by the journalists before heading into the caucus meeting at the West Block on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026. Photo by HYUNGCHEOL PARK /Postmedia

See more Toronto Sun on Google — save as a Preferred Source

Article content

Ward 19: Beaches-East York

Article content

Recommended Videos

Article content

Thirteen people were gunning for mayoralty candidate Brad Bradford’s old councillor job, with the race seemingly between former provincial Liberal leadership candidate/federal cabinet minister Nate Erskine-Smith (with labour/Olivia Chow backing), who was leading over former CTV City Hall reporter Natalie Johnson (support from CUPE 416) in Forum’s poll a month ago.

Natalie Johnson is running for Toronto city council in the riding of Beaches-East York. HANDOUT

Johnson has pledged to replace the Gardiner ramp and Erskine-Smith supports a new ramp at Cherry St.

Ward 14: Toronto-Danforth

No fewer than 18 candidates scrambled to run in this ward after longtime councillor Paula Fletcher abruptly abandoned her re-election bid.

The biggest name was councillor Dianne Saxe, who quit her own re-election campaign in University-Rosedale after Mike Layton decided to make a bid for a return to council.

Toronto Councillor Dianne Saxe of University-Rosedale speaks to reporters outside of the mayor’s office on February 16, 2023. Photo by Jack Boland/Toronto Sun

Her biggest competitors were school trustee Sara Ehrhardt, leading Forum’s latest survey; former city councillor Mary Fragedakis, who ran provincially for the Liberals in 2022; and lawyer and frequent social media poster Caryma Sa’d.
Saxe built her rep on environmental policies, cycling and transit infrastructure.

Article content

In this file photo, councillor Mike Layton speaks during a morning session in council chambers at City Hall in Toronto, on Jan. 30, 2019. Photo by Ernest Doroszuk /Toronto Sun

Ward 11: University-Rosedale

Mike Layton was vying for a return to city hall after a four-year absence and was considered the man to beat out of 17 candidates, with affordable housing among his priorities.

As the son of late federal NDP leader Jack Layton and stepson of incumbent Mayor Olivia Chow, Layton previously served as the ward’s councillor for 12 years until 2022.

Diana Chan McNally holds a campaign sign. Photo by Diana Chan McNally via Instagram

Ward 4: Parkdale-High Park

Without veteran Councillor Gord Perks running again, his perceived pick was Diana Chan McNally (with endorsements from former mayor David Miller, CUPE, the ATU, Progress Toronto), despite some contradictory campaign facts.

But one of her biggest competitors among the 21 candidates was TDSB trustee Debbie King (backing from the Toronto and York Region Labour Council, NDP MPP-turned-social-media poster Cheri DiNovo).

A third choice was Nadia Guerrera (backers include former Liberal premier Kathleen Wynne), who was a few points ahead of McNally in a Mainstreet Research poll released Thursday.

Guerrera has criticized the city’s weekend ban on cars in High Park while McNally supported a housing project at Swansea Mews despite residents’ chemical contamination concerns.

Article content