The election is so far in a dead heat, with Parrish and Crombie tied in the polls
Featured image: AI-generated editorial illustration; not a photograph of the reported event.
As the Mississauga mayoral campaign enters its final stretch, the election so far appears to be in a dead heat.
Opinion polling has consistently shown that the two leading candidates are tied with the same amount of support. Both former Mayor Bonnie Crombie and current incumbent Mayor Carolyn Parrish are on the ballot this year and voters are backing them in equal measure — with both of them at around 35% support.
The two other mayoral candidates — Dipika Damerla and Alvin Tedjo — are trailing behind them.
Who will prevail? It may come down to organization, and which campaign team gets its vote out. Or perhaps endorsement and support from elsewhere will matter — such as Ontario Premier Doug Ford appears to favour Parrish. Or a lightning rod issue may emerge in the remaining weeks to send voters closer to one camp or another.
As Mississauga residents consider their vote, here are the leading candidates main campaign points as of the beginning of October:
CAROLYN PARRISH
- The current Mayor and former councillor and MP is so far running more on her record than on new pledges, according to her campaign website
- Parrish points to windrow snow clearing as a major accomplishment of her term
- Leading the Housing Task Force, trimming $27 million from the Peel Region budget, and cutting staff budgets in Mississauga by 2% are other major accomplishments
BONNIE CROMBIE
- While a former councillor, mayor, MP and Ontario Liberal leader, Crombie’s campaign has drawn attention to new promises rather than past work in the city
- Pledges “Mississauga Moves 2.0”, a transit plan that includes extending Toronto’s Line 2 subway west from Kipling, through Sherway Gardens, and into downtown Mississauga
- Crombie released a Community Safety Plan with 13 points to it, which include: combat home invasions and auto thefts; strengthen action on hate crimes; reduce admin burdens via more civilian support and AI use; strengthen frontline policing and mental-health crisis response
DIPIKA DAMERLA
- Damerla pledges to freeze property taxes for 2027 and keep increases at inflation for the years following
- Will hire an independent auditor to analyze the budget and eliminate wasteful expenses, like Toronto already does
- Implement a fraud hotline where the public can call in to give tips about taxpayer waste
- Promises to repair potholes within 4 days
ALVIN TEDJO
- Tedjo’s campaign lists four priorities: lowering cost of living, improving community safety and preventing crime, making Mississauga a great place to live, better fiscal management and freezing property taxes
- He has been endorsed by the Peel Region Police Association, the union representing Mississauga’s police officers
HAVE YOUR SAY!
We want to hear from you. What are your priorities for Mississauga City Hall? What do you want to see happen in the next term of council? Send us your thoughts and we may print them in an upcoming edition of MPulse. Email us at info@mpulse.ca
