Former Federal Minister Chris Alexander Enters Toronto Mayoral Race
AI-generated image · Bay Street Wire
The former Conservative MP and Immigration Minister joins a crowded field of over 30 candidates challenging incumbent Mayor Olivia Chow.
Former federal cabinet minister Chris Alexander announced his intention to run for mayor of Toronto via a press release on Tuesday evening, according to CityNews Toronto. Campaign spokesperson Wilf Dinnick told CBC News that Alexander is scheduled to register his candidacy at City Hall on Wednesday at 10:30 a.m.
Alexander previously served as a Conservative Member of Parliament for Ajax-Pickering from 2011 to 2015 and held the role of Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship of Canada from 2013 to 2015 under former Prime Minister Stephen Harper. His professional background includes serving as Canada's first resident ambassador to Afghanistan from 2003 to 2005 and working as a foreign service officer with Canada's Department of External Affairs starting in 1991, CBC News reports.
On his campaign website, Alexander cited priorities including zoning, budgeting, congestion, and improving the speed and timeliness of public transit. He also noted goals to improve city walkability and make rental housing more accessible for immigrants and youth. Alexander stated that Toronto has been "standing still for three years" and that a city with its potential "should not be under-performing."
Alexander enters a race that currently features 32 candidates. CBC News reports that early polling suggests the primary contest is between incumbent Mayor Olivia Chow and Councillor Brad Bradford of Beaches-East-York. However, the non-profit organization A Better City (ABC) Toronto expressed skepticism regarding Alexander's viability. Board member Kelly Aizicowitz told CBC News that the city does not need "distractions." ABC Toronto said on social media that Alexander has "no path to victory."
Nominations for the municipal election officially close on August 21, per CityNews Toronto.