Just before the deadline for nominations for Toronto’s upcoming municipal election, one of the city’s incumbent councillors switched wards, ducking away from a major matchup against another well-known progressive.
Dianne Saxe, who has represented University Rosedale since 2022, had been set to face off against Mike Layton, who served in the ward from 2010.
The race would have seen two well-known councillors competing for similar votes, with polling from Forum Research suggesting Layton would likely win the race.
Then, at the eleventh hour, Saxe made the unprecedented decision to switch races, registering to run in Toronto Danforth instead, where incumbent Paula Fletcher is not seeking re-election.
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“I’m a good match for their challenges, and I’m looking forward to it,” Saxe told reporters after making the switch.
“A lot of the issues in Toronto Danforth are issues I’ve spent my whole life working on: revitalizing the Don River, protecting the waterfront.”
The last-minute switch came on Friday, with the deadline to register for municipal elections across the province set for 2 p.m.
The last few days of the nomination period saw a flurry of high-profile entries, including former Liberal MP Nate Erskine-Smith, who is running to represent the east-end Toronto ward of Beaches—East York. Another former Liberal MP, Shaun Chen, joined the council race in Scarborough North on Friday.
Municipal clerks are expected to finish certifying candidates for the more than 2,800 elected seats on Monday, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario said in a statement.
The organization said it will then collate and analyze the data.
“Local democracy thrives when people are willing to put their names on a ballot and work to strengthen the places we call home. This commitment to public service is the foundation of a healthy, resilient, and representative municipal system,” AMO’s executive director, Lindsay Jones, said Friday.
Meanwhile, recent polling shows the race for mayor in Toronto with incumbent Olivia Chow roughly 11 points in front of Coun. Brad Bradford to lead the city.
Former federal minister Chris Alexander is in third place.
— with files from The Canadian Press
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