Nearly two-thirds, 64 per cent, of Torontonians think the mayor and city council are out of touch with what residents want and need, according to a new poll.
The Canada Pulse Insights poll for CityNews also found 56 per cent said they believe the mayor was doing a good job, 64 per cent believed their local councillor was doing a good job and 55 per cent rated city council on a whole as doing a good job.
It comes ahead of the municipal election that shows incumbent Olivia Chow with slight lead over her main challenger, Brad Bradford, who was city councillor for Beaches-East York.
When asked about whether the City of Toronto is headed in the right direction, fifty-four per cent said it’s off on the wrong track while 46 per cent say it’s headed in the right direction.
Seventy-one per cent of Chow supporters believe it’s headed in the right direction while only 21 per cent of Bradford supporters believe the same.
Pollster John Wright said the lukewarm response to council and the mayor is likely to mean more voters at the polls.
“I think what what drives people to the polls is not only the desire for change, but why? What are the issues driving it right now? It’s affordability, and that lands more on Olivia Chow’s doorstep than it does on the other people,” said Wright.
The top issue for the election amongst voters were affordability and cost of living at 43 per cent, according to the survey, with 45 per cent of Chow supporters naming it the top issue and 39 per cent of Bradford supporters. The next top issues among all voters were by crime, policing and public safety at 29 per cent and traffic congestion and road infrastructure at 25 per cent.
When it breaks down between Chow and Bradford supporters, the top issues following cost of living differed greatly. Chow’s supporters were more likely to name housing affordability and home ownership, with 30 per cent saying it was a top issue, along with homelessness and lack of shelter at 25 per cent.
Meanwhile, Bradford supporters were more likely to say crime, policing and public safety which 37 per cent of respondents named as a top issue along with traffic congestion and road infrastructure at 36 per cent.
Municipal taxes, spending and the budget were also more of a concern to Bradford supporters at 30 per cent compared to 14 per cent of Chow supporters.
Chow supporters were more likely to say climate change and extreme weather, 13 per cent versus five per cent of Bradford supporters, were issues along with social assistance and supports at 10 per cent versus three per cent.
Fourteen per cent of Bradford’s supporters also named immigration and newcomers as a top issue compared to seven per cent of Chow supporters.
Undecided voters had similar prorities to those supporting Bradford with 38 per cent naming affordability and the cost of living, followed by crime, policing and public safety at 34 per cent and 26 per cent saying traffic congestion and road infrastructure.
Wright added in different parts of Toronto, voters tend to place emphasis on different issues.
“In the core, you’re going to get more of an Olivia Chow view of the world, and that is really the affordability, the housing, the rental part. Whereas in other parts, whether it be Scarborough or whether it be in North York, you’re going to get more related to the police issues and and safety, so you do see that dynamic playing out in different wards, and then you, of course, overlay the candidates and you see how that’s playing out,” said Wright.
It will be Chow versus Bradford as Torontonians begin voting. Chris Alexander, who was polling in third place, dropped out of the race on Tuesday. The Canada Pulse Insights poll for CityNews was conducted before he withdrew.
The two top candidates will face off in a debate moderated CityNews’ Cynthia Mulligan. You can stream it live on CityNews 24/7 at 5 p.m.
This survey was conducted among 510 adult residents of the City of Toronto by Canada Pulse Insights between Sept. 14 and 24, 2026. The margin of error for a probability-based sample of this size is +/- 4.3 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
Keep it Factual
Add CityNews Toronto as a trusted source on Google to see more local stories from us.
