Mississauga’s mayoral race is witnessing unprecedented competition with a record 18 candidates vying for the position formerly held by Bonnie Crombie. As the nomination period for the mayoral byelection draws to a close with only four days left—candidates have a deadline of April 26 at 2 p.m. to enter—the number of contenders could potentially increase even further.
Initially, the candidate count had plateaued at 13 for several weeks. It then briefly dipped to 12 after Amir Ali shifted his focus from the mayoral race to a council seat in Ward 5. However, a surge in nominations in recent weeks raised the tally to 18 by Monday evening.
This election could surpass the record set back in 2010 when 17 candidates competed in the last mayoral election of Hazel McCallion, affectionately known as “Hurricane Hazel,” who dominated Mississauga politics for over three decades. In that election, McCallion secured a sweeping victory with over 76% of the vote.
Following McCallion’s retirement in 2014, Bonnie Crombie won the mayoral seat from a field of 15 candidates, bolstered by McCallion’s endorsement. Crombie maintained her position through the 2018 and 2022 elections, each featuring eight candidates, winning convincingly on both occasions.
This year’s race includes three current city council members and one former councillor. Carolyn Parrish, who recently resigned from her Ward 5 council position to run for mayor, joins fellow councilors Stephen Dasko (Ward 1), Alvin Tedjo (Ward 2), and Dipika Damerla (Ward 7) in the bid for the city’s top job.
The diverse group of mayoral hopefuls includes Zulfiqar Ali, Diya Atassi, Jamie Dookie, Frank Fang, Winston Harding, Sara Iqbal, Syed Jaffery, Sinisa Mandrapa, Mike Matulewicz, Peter McCallion, David Shaw, George Tavares, Peter Tolias, and Nathalie Xian Yi Yan, each bringing unique perspectives and proposals to the fore. This election marks a significant moment in Mississauga’s political landscape, promising a dynamic and competitive race.