Chris Alexander quits race for Toronto mayor
· Toronto Sun
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Chris Alexander, the former federal cabinet minister who was polling at a very distant third in Toronto’s race for mayor, has dropped out.
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Alexander told reporters Tuesday morning that it had become clear over the weekend that his path to victory was “not obvious and perhaps not there at all.” One recent poll had him at a mere 4%.
The move leaves incumbent Olivia Chow and two-term city councillor Brad Bradford as the only candidates with any significant presence in the polls.
In a brief written statement, Alexander said he would not be “endorsing anyone in this election.”
A former diplomat, Alexander represented Ajax-Pickering for the federal Conservatives. He ran again in 2015 in the redrawn riding of Ajax, but lost to the Liberals, then led by Justin Trudeau.
He entered the race for Toronto mayor in late July, only a few weeks before the nomination process closed. While rumours had swirled about his decision, it marked a sudden re-entry into political life.
Alexander’s campaign lacked traction and, often, an apparent purpose. At 10:11 a.m. on Tuesday, after he had announced his resignation, a post appeared on his account on the social media platform X that said his platform is “more progressive than the current mayor’s.”
“We’ve run a centrist, non-partisan, fiscally responsible, action-oriented campaign – with credible plans to get Toronto moving, to make us Canada’s economic engine – a city that works for all.”
Just an hour and a half before that, Alexander had posted about canvassing in Etobicoke on the weekend.
From right to left
Alexander told the Toronto Sun ’s Brian Lilley in July that he had heard from voters “who aren’t connecting with Brad .” However, despite his Tory history, nobody looking for a right-of-centre alternative to Bradford would find it in Alexander.
Alexander courted the city’s left with exclusive interviews in the Toronto Star . Last month, in the agenda-setting first mayoral debate of the 2026 election, Alexander started his remarks with a personal land acknowledgment – something neither Chow nor Bradford did.
Alexander also failed to win fans among the grassroots of right-wing Toronto – not that it appears he tried making inroads with them. He was steady and clear in debates, however, and pushed Chow on her record on combating hate in the city – a theme he returned to during Tuesday morning’s press conference.
He defended his campaign’s work in his remarks to reporters Tuesday, saying he had brought people together and put forward strong ideas.
He warned that while he was focused on promises that could be paid for, other candidates have resorted to dreaming up “giveaways” to win votes. He also spoke up about what he sees as “unbalanced development” in the city’s real estate sector.
Toronto goes to the polls Oct. 26.