[mjl08]

Matlow is likely the only guy left on the opposition who could make a go of it. He has some serious flaws: he has few friends on council, and his housing policy record isn’t great. But he is hugely popular in his ward, he’s sharp, and he’s great on a lot of issues, like transit and accountability.

One of the challenges for Matlow in claiming the "progressive candidate" slot is his lack of NDP ties. Matlow, at least until recently, is a card-carrying Liberal with no ties to the NDP.

In 2018 when Ford's ward cuts led to incumbents challenging each other, Matlow ran as the "Liberal" candidate to the right of Joe Mihevc, who has strong NDP ties. I've also heard that he has a frosty relationship with the local NDP MPP, Jill Andrews.

Between 2010 and 2018, Matlow was widely considered a centrist along colleagues Colle Jr., McMahon, Ainslie and Bailao. Since his defeat over Mihevc in 2018, he definitely moved to the left, usually voting with the Dippers on council and campaigning for NDP-aligned municipal candidates like Chiara Padovani and Amber Morley. Still, I'm unsure if he's built enough bridges with the NDP machinery - activists, advocacy orgs like Progress Toronto, and most importantly, Labour - to become the defacto "Progressive candidate."

 

[picard102]

I hope that whoever will be the next mayor will give pedestrians (cyclists and public transit) a higher priority than the single-occupant motor vehicles.

Would be nice to see some of that priority you're talking about while driving around the city where snowbanks make parking difficult and reduce lanes. Had to drive a cargo van last weekend and it's clear the city doesn't particularly care about anything other than ensuring emergency vehicles have clear paths.

 

[christiesplits]

Two "draft the candidate" accounts making the rounds on Twitter.

https://twitter.com/Draft_Saunders

https://twitter.com/AhmedHussen4TO

 

[goreckm]

Would be nice to see some of that priority you're talking about while driving around the city where snowbanks make parking difficult and reduce lanes. Had to drive a cargo van last weekend and it's clear the city doesn't particularly care about anything other than ensuring emergency vehicles have clear paths.

Oh, the roads are quite bad. But, I assure you, as someone who drives, bikes and walks, the state of the sidewalks and bike lanes, is much, much worse.

 

[toronto647]

This is a Brad Bradford coronation waiting to happen... Tory 2.0 aka faster version of Tory. The Electoral Base doesn't want a change. They are happy with the status quo political spectrum in the city.

Justin Trudeau has in essence screwed a leftist from winning City of Toronto Mayorship. Matlow is toast before even putting his name in the ring and he knows it. Or else he would have already declared his candidacy since he has 0 credible lefty competition

Ana Bailão on the other is hand is a weak candidate and has a terrible track record.

The Police Chief isn't going to win anything and will only embarrass himself if he were to run for Mayor lol

Brad Bradford has this elections in the bag without a doubt.

 

[W. K. Lis]

This is a Brad Bradford coronation waiting to happen... Tory 2.0 aka faster version of Tory. The Electoral Base doesn't want a change. They are happy with the status quo political spectrum in the city.

Justin Trudeau has in essence screwed a leftist from winning City of Toronto Mayorship. Matlow is toast before even putting his name in the ring and he knows it. Or else he would have already declared his candidacy since he has 0 credible lefty competition

Ana Bailão on the other is hand is a weak candidate and has a terrible track record.

The Police Chief isn't going to win anything and will only embarrass himself if he were to run for Mayor lol

Brad Bradford has this elections in the bag without a doubt.

Currently, Prince of Beaches-East York? 😂

 

[toronto647]

Currently, Prince of Beaches-East York? 😂

and Crown Prince of Toronto... Coronation June 26, 2023. Public Celebrations and Fireworks on July 1, 2023 @ City Hall. Stay tuned for further details.

 

[JacindaArdern]

Justin Trudeau has in essence screwed a leftist from winning City of Toronto Mayorship.

How is this so? Just curious.

 

[christiesplits]

Currently, Prince of Beaches-East York? 😂

The Beaches already think they're an independent republic.

 

[toaster29]

Didn't Ana Bailao win Davenport with over 80% the last time she ran? This is the most left/NDP area in the city (current ONDP leader Stiles riding). She is able to convince progressives to vote for her. If there is no NDP or Matlow candidate, do progressives vote for Bailao or Bradford? Ot stick with Penalosa?

 

[vic]

Didn't Ana Bailao win Davenport with over 80% the last time she ran? This is the most left/NDP area in the city (current ONDP leader Stiles riding). She is able to convince progressives to vote for her. If there is no NDP or Matlow candidate, do progressives vote for Bailao or Bradford? Ot stick with Penalosa?

It was only the most recent election that she won with over 80%, against a slate of no-names. Though I guess it counts for something if nobody really wanted to run against her, expecting she would win anyway.

Previous two wins were all much closer with mid-40's%, and a loss to Giambrone before that.

 

[toronto647]

How is this so? Just curious.

The sentiment is people are unhappy with Trudeau who is on life support by the NDP...

Recent polling has shown an uptick for the federal conservatives.

As well as inflation, lower quality of life, affordability, housing, etc... are all being blamed on the left leaning government supported by the NDPs.

Some Sources -

Opinion | Justin Trudeau’s Liberals are sliding in popularity: ‘These numbers should be a warning’

The first few weeks of 2023 finds the Trudeau government is losing support among Canadians, Susan Delacourt writes.

www.thestar.com

Abacus Data | Conservatives open up an 8-point lead over the Liberals as 70%+ Canadians don’t think the Liberal government is focused enough on the cost of living, healthcare or housing.

abacusdata.ca

 

[adma]

It was only the most recent election that she won with over 80%, against a slate of no-names. Though I guess it counts for something if nobody really wanted to run against her, expecting she would win anyway.

Previous two wins were all much closer with mid-40's%, and a loss to Giambrone before that

And remember that said election was hampered by DoFo's last-minute ward-cutting. So in a way, the normally galvanized Davenport left-machine was caught flat-footed by that move, and opted to give Bailao a pass that time around--by comparison, '22's Bravo landslide was back to the ward's modern-day natural-political-gravity form...

 

[SubHuman]

FWIW, former city councillor Rob Davis is running. I realize a lot of people probably heard this in the news in the last few days, but I didn't see it mentioned yet in this thread.

 

[Towered]

FWIW, former city councillor Rob Davis is running. I realize a lot of people probably heard this in the news in the last few days, but I didn't see it mentioned yet in this thread.

A guy who hasn't been on council for 23 years is running for mayor? 🤣