IG news Update,
Former city councilor Ana Bailao said Friday she will run for mayor in Toronto in a June by-election.
“I’m running with a plan to fix our city’s services, build housing, and make living more affordable,” she said in a tweet announcing her candidacy.
Bailao was a councilor for 12 years from 2010 to 2022, during which time he represented Ward 9 Davenport and its previous configuration Ward 18 Davenport. In his last municipal election in 2018, he won in a landslide, capturing nearly 84 percent of the vote share.
She also served as one of four deputy mayors in the last five years of her tenure at City Hall—the only woman in that group.
In an email a spokesperson said was sent this morning to family and friends of Bailao, Bailao said his decision to run came after conversations with hundreds of Torontonians.
“They are all saying the same things – services in Toronto need fixing, housing is out of reach, and lives are unaffordable,” she said.
“Residents are paying more, and they’re getting less. I want to make sure services like the TTC are safe, reliable, clean and convenient.”
Bailao was a close political ally of former mayor John Tory, often serving as his point person on the housing file before announcing in May last year that he would not seek re-election in last fall’s municipal vote.
At the time, Bailao said that although she would no longer be a councilor, she was “committed to continuing to contribute to our city.”
The upcoming June 26 mayoral by-election was triggered by Tory’s abrupt resignation last month after admitting to an extramarital affair with a former staffer in his office.
Candidate nominations will officially open at 8:30 a.m. on April 3 and close at 2 p.m. on May 12. It is expected to be a crowded field, with many current and former councilors confirming either run Or strongly indicating.