Richard Warnica: If Olivia Chow loses, this will be the reason why - Toronto Star

Over the past two months, I’ve been asking people in this city whom I trust how well they believe Chow has performed as mayor.

Mayor Olivia Chow is seen in the Star’s newsroom, where she and her main challenger, Brad Bradford, were each interviewed by the newspaper’s editorial board, in Toronto, on Oct. 14, 2026.

Richard Warnica is a Toronto-based senior opinion writer for the Star. Reach him via email: rwarnica@thestar.ca

I should begin by clarifying that I do not believe Olivia Chow is trying to lose this election, not deliberately. I think she has a plan for her campaign. It just isn’t working. Whatever it is, it is going badly wrong.

I should add that, by and large, I think Chow has been quite a good mayor for Toronto. I don’t have a problem, as an opinion writer, saying I’m going to vote for her. I think you should too.

Over the past two months, I’ve been sitting down with people I trust in this city — in business, politics, housing and other sectors — and asking them two broad questions: What do you think of Brad Bradford? And: How do you think Chow has done as mayor?

I wrote about Bradford in an earlier piece. On Chow, the answers have been decidedly mixed.

Her record on housing, on encampments, on potholes — on many of the things the city controls that can have a real impact on people’s lives — has been strong. She has also been remarkably successful at what is perhaps her most crucial job: getting other levels of government to pony up cash for Toronto.

Bradford’s relentless pursuit of success may also be his downfall.