A recent survey indicates that Olivia Chow maintains her lead in the competition for the position of Toronto’s mayor as the mayoral election nears its conclusion, although the outcome is still uncertain. According to the latest Mainstreet Research poll released on Friday, Olivia Chow is in the lead with 38.1% support, followed by Brad Bradford at 32.2% and Chris Alexander at 7.2%.
The survey, conducted on September 28 and 29, reveals that many voters are still undecided, as mentioned by Quito Maggi, the president and CEO of Mainstreet Research. Maggi stated, “The race is still Olivia Chow’s to lose. With 16% undecided and another 14% considering changing their vote, the next mayor of Toronto is far from decided at this stage.”
Comparing the recent poll to the previous one conducted between September 14 and 17, there have been shifts in the numbers. In the earlier survey, Chow led with 38.8% support, followed by Bradford at 31.4% and Alexander at 8%. The poll also showed that 16.8% of voters were undecided.
Affordability appears to be a key concern for voters, with 78% of respondents in the latest survey stating that affordability and the cost of living will significantly influence their voting decisions. Among the respondents, 44% considered it “extremely important” and nearly 34% deemed it “very important.”
Housing costs, including rent and mortgage payments, were identified as the primary affordability concern for 35% of those surveyed, while groceries and other daily expenses were the top concerns for almost 26% of respondents. Approximately three-quarters of respondents felt that Toronto has become either “much less affordable” or “somewhat less affordable” over the past two years.
When asked to choose between Brad Bradford and Olivia Chow, should the race come down to those two candidates, Chow maintained a lead with 47% support compared to Bradford’s 41%, with 12% of respondents undecided.
The survey, based on responses from 1,000 Toronto adults, utilized interactive voice response (IVR) to reach participants via landlines and cell phones. The data was weighted to align with 2021 census targets, with a margin of error of +/- 3.1 percentage points for the total sample. The upcoming Toronto mayoral election is scheduled for October 26, with 53 candidates vying for the position. The full list of candidates can be found on the city’s website.