Why there are 102 candidates running for Toronto mayor
All it takes to run the top job in Canada’s largest city is a refundable C$200 fee and 25 signatures. This year, that means a crowded and colorful field.
When Toronto voters enter the polling booth to elect a new mayor on Monday, they will have to scan a roster of 102 candidates on a ballot three columns wide and 34 rows deep.
The list includes a handful of frontrunners, but also a host of nontraditional candidates, including an up-and-coming comedian, a teenager, and one well-known climate activist who says he's running on behalf of his dog Molly.
Low barriers to entering the race — plus an unexpected opening for the job after John Tory abruptly ended his eight-year-long reign — have led to the largest recorded number of contenders vying to lead one of North America's largest cities. That's compared with 31 candidates in last October's mayoral contest.
"It's the first opening, as popular incumbents had a lock on the post for two decades. Many candidates are excited," said Karen Chapple, director of the School of Cities at the University of Toronto. "Three have a real chance. The other 99 know that, but it's a chance to get their name out there for the future."
Eighteen-year-old Meir (pronounced "mayor") Straus's name appears toward the end of that lanky list. While the leading candidates are focused on issues like housing and transportation policy, the recent high school graduate wants to eradicate the skunky smell around weed shops, speed bumps on city roads and the inappropriate use of the word "muck," among other things. His election outlay: C$17 ($13) to register the domain name for his campaign website.
Straus spending the equivalent of a teen's weekly allowance to run for mayor exemplifies how easy it is to become a contestant compared with other global cities. Any resident 18 or older can enter the race with minimal paperwork, and without identifying affiliation with any political party. While other big cities require thousands of endorsement signatures, Toronto only requires 25. Even the C$200 filing fee is refundable.
"The lack of political party barriers encourages participation," said Chapple.
Besides Straus, other nontraditional candidates include Edward Gong, an entrepreneur whose company pleaded guilty in an international pyramid scheme; Kevin Clarke, a former homeless man who's running for the seventh time; and up-and-coming comedian Ben Bankas. Non-citizens are disallowed, so Molly the dog is represented by her owner, environmental activist Toby Heaps, on the ballot.
Toronto, Canada's most populous municipality, will choose a new mayor at a critical time for its 3 million residents. A half-dozen serious contenders — including former deputy mayor Ana Bailao; former Member of Parliament Olivia Chow, who's leading in the polls; councillor Josh Matlow; and former police chief Mark Saunders — are fighting a tense campaign as the city grapples with skyrocketing living costs, a struggling transit system, a stagnant minimum wage and a rise in crime.
While these candidates may command the most votes, proponents of Toronto's inclusive system say it allows more views to be represented. Straus, for example, says "many young people are watching me," and that he represents the interests of his generation — even if many of those members of his "base" are too young to vote yet.
But many voters who haven't done their research may be overwhelmed by such a long list of candidates. Other big cities impose barriers to try to limit the number of candidates to those who can show the breadth of their support through signatures. Mayoral candidates in New York must have 2,250 signatures.
Candidates often get far more — because rivals can seek to disqualify them. In Los Angeles, mayoral contestants require over 1,000 petitioners to sign their nomination forms — or 500 signatures and a $300 filing fee.
Despite the low financial bar to get on the ballot in Toronto, victory may be another thing altogether. Lead mayoral candidates could spend an average C$1 million to fund a credible campaign — much of it garnered through donor cash. Toronto has a C$1.66 million spending limit in this mayoral election.
Critics say the next mayor could win without widespread support, since the winner only has to get a plurality of the votes — not a majority, or any other minimum share of the total. Given the large number of contenders, it is more likely that a new mayor could be elected with less than a third of total votes.
This would be a first in modern history; the winning mayoral candidate has historically garnered at least 40% of the vote. But even with a slim mandate, the winner will gain strong mayoral powers, allowing them to pass budgets with just a third of the council support, veto bylaws and redefine Toronto's future. Electoral reforms, including a ranked choice system like the one New York City adopted, are being proposed.
Ayesha Talreja, 27, who works with a national urban parks nonprofit, believes the long and diverse slate of options is a sign of a healthy democracy, where even candidates who aren't spending $1 million can get a platform for their views.
"A list of 102 candidates makes it seem like a political circus," Talreja said. "But to me, it signals a renewed interest in Toronto's mayoral politics."
Disclaimer: This article first appeared on Bloomberg, and is published by special syndication arrangement.