Is Auston Matthews' new relationship with girlfriend Instagram official?

Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath suing to evict ex, demolish run-down home

Is new Ayatollah a nepo baby who went to UK for impotency treatment?

YOU HAD YOUR SAY: Results are in for Toronto Sun's NHL trade-deadline Maple Leafs poll

LILLEY: PM Mark Carney ignores first instinct, shows weakness on Iran

Share this Story : Toronto Sun Copy Link Email X Reddit Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr

LILLEY: With John Tory out, poll shows Brad Bradford can beat Olivia Chow for Toronto mayor

Poll shows Bradford statistically tied with Chow in race to be mayor, but Bradford has more room to grow support

You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.

With John Tory saying that he won’t run in October’s mayoral election, it appears we have a race.

Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.

Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account.

Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on.

Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists.

Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists.

Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.

Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.

Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account.

Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on.

Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists.

Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists.

Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.

Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.

Access articles from across Canada with one account.

Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.

Enjoy additional articles per month.

Get email updates from your favourite authors.

Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.

Access articles from across Canada with one account

Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments

Enjoy additional articles per month

Get email updates from your favourite authors

Don't have an account? Create Account

A new poll from Abacus Data shows that in a head-to-head showdown, City Councillor Brad Bradford is statistically tied with Mayor Olivia Chow.

LILLEY: With John Tory out, poll shows Brad Bradford can beat Olivia Chow for Toronto mayor Back to video

Whether we get a head-to-head showdown or other major candidates enter the race remains to be seen. So far though, Bradford is the only declared candidate with Chow expected to announce her re-election bid soon.

Abacus Data polled 1,001 Toronto residents just over a month ago, between Jan. 22 and 27, and found 37% said they would vote for Chow and 34% said they would vote for Bradford.

Among voters who said they were familiar with the two candidates, meaning likely voters, the result changed to 39% saying they would vote for Chow and 38% said they would vote for Bradford with 24% saying they were undecided.

Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond.

There was an error, please provide a valid email address.

By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.

A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.

The next issue of Your Midday Sun will soon be in your inbox.

We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again

Interested in more newsletters? Browse here.

In the last election that saw Chow take the mayor’s chair, Abacus Data did work for Bradford’s campaign. It should also be noted that Bradford and Abacus Data CEO David Coletto are friends.

That said, Coletto and his firm have a strong track record of accurate polling, and at this point are not working for Bradford’s campaign.

In releasing his numbers, Coletto said John Tory’s possible entry into the race had created uncertainty for voters over the last year.

“With that uncertainty gone, the mayoral race snaps into clearer focus. What looked like a potentially crowded contest now looks increasingly like a head-to-head between Olivia Chow and Brad Bradford,” Coletto said. “It is a competitive race that Bradford can win.”

His numbers find Chow strongest in the old city of Toronto and East York with Bradford strongest in Etobicoke. The two candidates are effectively tied in North York and Scarborough.

Coletto finds that Chow benefits from stronger name recognition than Bradford, but that is also a weakness.

Only 3% of poll respondents said they didn’t know enough about Olivia Chow to provide an impression of her, and 39% had a positive impression. The problem for the Mayor is that 40% had a negative impression and 17% are neutral.

By comparison, Bradford only has 32% saying they have a positive impression of him, but only 16% have a negative impression. There are 17% of voters who say they don’t know enough about him to form an impression and 36% who say they are neutral.

In a race this close, that gives Bradford more room to grow than Chow, which is a real advantage for the challenger.

LILLEY: Bradford says he's all in to bring about generational change at city hall

LILLEY: Toronto needs serious mayor to replace bat-flipping Chow

LILLEY: Here's all the reasons Olivia Chow should not run for Toronto mayor again

The vote this fall should be about a change election.

The city under Mayor Olivia Chow is not working properly, basic services are not being provided as they should. Just look at the fact that more than a month after January’s big snow storm, the city is still clearing away snow – though mostly they seem to be waiting for the warm weather coming later this week.

In his statement announcing that he wouldn’t run, John Tory described the decline of Toronto.

“We need a safe city where regardless of statistics, people actually feel safe; a city where open-air drug use on our streets and encampments in our parks are not normalized and just accepted; where the transit system is reliable, efficient and safe,” he said. “We’ve been that place in the past. We can be that place again.”

Olivia Chow incapable of dealing with Toronto’s major problems

If what John Tory said in that statement resonates with you, if you want a better city, then Olivia Chow cannot be returned as mayor. She has shown herself incapable of dealing with the major problems facing Toronto.

Voters who were considering backing Tory should be looking to Bradford.

Contacted Wednesday morning, Bradford thanked Tory for his many years of service.

“John dedicated a good portion of his life for public service, and the city is better off for that,” he said.

As he has done in the past, Bradford said his focus, if elected mayor, will be on providing the basic services that have been left by the wayside over the last several years.

“It’s time that Torontonians demanded more from City Hall. It’s time we had an administration that can deliver on the basics,” Bradford said.

“This needs to be a city that can clear the snow in the winter, keep the pools open in the summer and let parents register their kids for swimming lessons.”

Like Tory said, we’ve been that city before and can be that city again, but not with Olivia Chow in charge.

blilley@postmedia.com

Share this Story : Toronto Sun Copy Link Email X Reddit Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr

Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information.

Is Auston Matthews' new relationship with girlfriend Instagram official? Toronto Maple Leafs

Is Auston Matthews' new relationship with girlfriend Instagram official?

Is new Ayatollah a nepo baby who went to UK for impotency treatment? World

Is new Ayatollah a nepo baby who went to UK for impotency treatment?

Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath suing to evict ex, demolish run-down home Ontario

Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath suing to evict ex, demolish run-down home

‘Deadliest Catch’ star recalls night of Todd Meadows’ tragic death: 'DID EVERYTHING WE COULD TO SAVE HIM' Television

‘Deadliest Catch’ star recalls night of Todd Meadows’ tragic death: 'DID EVERYTHING WE COULD TO SAVE HIM'

LILLEY: PM Mark Carney ignores first instinct, shows weakness on Iran Columnists

LILLEY: PM Mark Carney ignores first instinct, shows weakness on Iran

© Toronto Sun