Liberal MPP Mitzie Hunter preparing run for Toronto mayor
Under provincial law, Mitzie Hunter will have to resign her seat in the legislature in order to run for Toronto mayor.
Thestar.com
March 23, 2023
Ben Spurr
Mitzie Hunter is gearing up to run for mayor.
Speaking at an event for the Black Professionals in Tech Network on Tuesday, the Liberal MPP for Scarborough-Guildwood confirmed she’s “preparing to run to be mayor,” according to a copy of her remarks shared with the Star.
Citing residents’ concerns over the state of city services, from shuttered public washrooms to an uptick of violence on transit, Hunter said “this is an important moment for the city.”
“It’s time to get Toronto back on track so that Toronto can be a city that works for everyone.”
Hunter said she’s assembling a campaign team and plans to make a formal announcement before nominations open April 3. The byelection is scheduled for June 26.
The stakes for Hunter will be higher than other candidates who vie for the mayor’s job. Provincial legislation dictates that in order to stay in the race past the close of nominations on May 12, Hunter will have to forfeit her job as MPP.
City councillors don’t have to resign their seats to run for mayor.
In an interview Wednesday, Hunter said she wouldn’t hesitate to leave Queen’s Park to contest the mayor’s race.
“I’m in, I’m all the way in, in terms of this commitment,” she said.
One sitting councillor, Josh Matlow (Ward 12, Toronto--St. Paul’s) has already announced he plans to launch a campaign, while others like Brad Bradford (Ward 19, Beaches--East York) and Stephen Holyday (Ward 2, Etobicoke Centre) say they’re considering it.
Earlier this week, former Toronto police chief Mark Saunders also announced he’ll join the increasingly crowded field, which also includes former city councillors Ana Bailão, Giorgio Mammoliti and Rob Davis.
If Hunter resigns, the Ontario Liberal Party would lose one of its eight seats in the provincial legislature, putting the party on even shakier ground than it was after its disappointing showing in last June’s election. Premier Doug Ford would have six months to call a byelection to replace her.
In a statement, interim Liberal leader John Fraser said he wouldn’t begrudge Hunter leaving her seat.
“Mitzie has been a great MPP, a great minister and a great member of our team. If she decides to run, we’ll miss her. I think she would make a great mayor,” he said.
Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Ford suggested it was unfair that councillors don’t have to resign to run, but said he had no plans to change legislation to force council members to follow the same rules as MPPs.
“No, no, I'm just gonna stay out of that. This is not the time to do that,” he said.
Ford predicted that with so many candidates, the election will be a close race that could be won with a small percentage of the vote.
“Either way, I’m going to work with whoever is the mayor,” he said.
Hunter has been Scarborough-Guildwood MPP since 2013, and was minister of education under Premier Kathleen Wynne’s government.
She has also served as chief administrative officer of the Toronto Community Housing Corporation, and head of Civic Action, an influential non-partisan civic engagement organization.
In 2020 she ran unsuccessfully for the Ontario Liberal leadership.
Among those working on her nascent mayoral campaign is Andrew Bevan, Wynne’s former chief of staff.
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