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The race for becoming Mississauga’s next mayor is currently a coin toss between former mayor Bonnie Crombie and current mayor Carolyn Parrish, a new poll suggests.
Parrish and Crombie both have 35 per cent support among committed voters and those leaning toward voting, according to a poll from national public opinion research firm Liaison Strategies. If the Oct. 26 election were held immediately, each would each get 26 per cent of votes, the poll suggests.
Dipika Damerla and Alvin Tedjo, two other mayoral candidates, would receive 13 per cent and nine per cent of votes respectively, according to Liaison.
CBC has reached out to both Crombie and Parrish for comment on the latest numbers.
Liaison polled a random sample of 1,000 Mississauga residents on landlines and cellphones between Aug. 11 and 12. Residents were surveyed using interactive voice recording and results were weighted to match the 2021 census. The poll has a margin of error of +/- 3.1 percentage points 19 times out of 20.
When asked their opinion on what is the biggest issue facing Mississauga, 19 per cent of respondents said transit, 17 per cent said taxes and 16 per cent said housing.
Now neck and neck, the competition between Crombie and Parrish is heating up. The two recently exchanged barbs on social media regarding Parrish’s decision to abstain from voting on a council motion to create a bylaw for a one-year moratorium on data centres.
When asked if they approve or disapprove of how Parrish is doing as mayor, 42 per cent said they disapprove while 38 per cent approve, the poll indicates.
Meanwhile, 39 per cent of respondents said an endorsement from premier Doug Ford would make them less likely to vote for a mayoral candidate. Only 15 per cent said Ford’s endorsement would make them more likely to vote for that candidate and 35 per cent said it would not affect their decision.
Ford endorsed Parrish at a news conference in March. At the time, the premier said he would “send an army” to prevent Crombie from becoming mayor.
Ontario’s Progressive Conservative Party made headlines this week after The Trillium and POLICORNER reported the party allegedly spent nearly $3,000 on two five-star resorts in Jamaica “to spy on” Crombie as part of opposition research work after she became the Ontario Liberal leader. Ford said he does not approve of the spying and said he was unaware it was happening