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In Mississauga, incumbent Mayor Carolyn Parrish is facing former mayor Bonnie Crombie. With a crowded field and a high-profile showdown at the top of the ticket, the central question hanging over the campaign is whether the drama will actually get residents to the polls.
In Mississauga, incumbent Mayor Carolyn Parrish is facing former mayor Bonnie Crombie. With a crowded field and a high-profile showdown at the top of the ticket, the central question hanging over the campaign is whether the drama will actually get residents to the polls.
The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results. The rivalry between the two candidates began back in 2011, when Bonnie Crombie defeated Carolyn Parrish by a mere 241 votes to win the council seat for Mississauga’s Ward 5 in a byelection.
Most municipal races see an incumbent square off against challengers, but how often do you see a race between a current mayor and one who only left the job two years ago? That’s what’s happening in Mississauga, where incumbent Mayor Carolyn Parrish is facing former mayor Bonnie Crombie. Top-polling councillors Alvin Tedjo and Dipika Damerla are also in the running, alongside 10 other candidates competing for the city’s top job.
With a crowded field and a high-profile showdown at the top of the ticket, the central question hanging over the campaign is whether the drama will actually get residents to the polls.
"Generally, competitive elections have higher voter turnout," said Randy Besco, an associate professor of political science at University of Toronto Mississauga. "In part because you have multiple candidates who are trying hard to get their voters out. But also from the voters’ perspective, if it's competitive, then your vote matters.
" "If they see lots of evidence of that in the media or on lawn signs, then usually that means the turnout is going to be somewhat higher. " Mississauga has historically struggled with voter engagement, seeing only a 21.84 per cent turnout in the 2022 municipal election. While that number ticked up to 25.7 per cent for the 2024 mayoral byelection, the question now is whether this year's highly publicized rematch will move the needle even further.
The roots of that rivalry trace back to 2011, when Crombie defeated Parrish by a mere 241 votes to win the council seat for Mississauga’s Ward 5 in a byelection. That closely fought contest marked the start of a decade-long political overlap at city hall. The city’s longest-serving mayor, Hazel McCallion, chose not to run in the 2014 municipal election and endorsed Crombie to be her successor. Crombie won the mayor’s seat while Parrish won in Ward 5.
Mississauga’s current and former mayors are at odds, and the political fallout is making waves. CBC's Chris Glover speaks with two guests to analyze the high-stakes dynamic between Carolyn Parrish and Bonnie Crombie. Tune in to hear what’s driving this rivalry and what it means for local voter turnout. Crombie stepped down in 2024 to lead the Ontario Liberal Party, sparking a mayoral byelection which Parrish won.
On election night, Crombie stopped by Parrish’s victory party and called her "a formidable leader for the city’s future.
"Although Crombie managed to regain official party status for the Liberals, she failed to win a seat and stepped down as leader in January. She announced her campaign for her old job in July, setting the stage for a rematch 15 years in the making. Since Crombie’s announcement, the two have traded jabs online, with Parrish accusing Crombie of "abandoning" Mississauga and Crombie calling Parrish a mayor who Then there’s the slew of attack-style online videos from both campaigns.
Following last week's Mississauga Board of Trade debate moderated by CBC News Peel, both candidates shared clips showcasing moments where their opponent stumbled. The theme song to the HBO show Curb Your Enthusiasm playedParrish also purchased airtime on Toronto radio station NewsTalk 1010 to re-air a podcast interview she conducted with her rival’s ex-husband, Brian Crombie.
The four candidates faced off again on Thursday night in the second debate of the campaign, hosted by Food Banks Mississauga, CityNews and The Metamorphosis Network. There were several heated personal exchanges between Parrish and Crombie, with Parrish saying "our staff are terrified that the blonde bombshell’s coming back" and Crombie telling Parrish, "Sometimes you have to leave your office, go meet people.
" Parrish also brought up Crombie failing to win a seat in the province election and said Crombie was never going to be premier. While the personal attacks and viral clips circulate on social media, political experts caution that campaign noise rarely moves the dial at the ballot box.
"Very few people are paying close attention to politicians’ social media accounts. And the people who do pay close attention already have strong opinions that are not going to change. Mostly these things don't matter, whereas lawn signs are actually seen.
"from the national public opinion research firm Liaison Strategies said that if the election was held immediately, Crombie and Parrish would each get 26 per cent of the vote. The poll had Damerla at 13 per cent and Tedjo at nine per cent. Mississauga's four leading mayoral candidates went head to head in the first mayoral debate ahead of October's municipal election. Check out the highlights.
Since this poll, Tedjo has secured an endorsement from the Peel Regional Police Association, the union that represents more than 3,800 uniform and civilian members. This is the first time the union has ever endorsed a Mississauga mayoral candidate — a historic backing that could bolster Tedjo’s appeal as he looks to build on his strong showing in 2024. Tedjo finished second in the byelection with just over 35,000 votes, behind Parrish’s 43,400.
With weeks away until election day, Besco isn't ruling out a candidate other than Crombie or Parrish picking up momentum.
"When you have the vote split three or four ways, you can win with a relatively small plurality," Besco said. "It's a bit unclear whether there are kind of different camps and whether Parrish and Crombie might split one part of the vote or if it's just going to split three equal ways. "Nav Nanwa is currently the host of Windsor Morning with CBC Radio One Windsor.
Before coming to CBC Windsor, he was a Reporter/Editor with the Brampton Backpack Bureau, as well as a Business Columnist and Associate Producer for CBC Radio's afternoon show in Toronto - Here and Now.
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