Parrish and Crombie face off in Mississauga's high-profile mayoral rematch

Mississauga is set for a high-profile mayoral showdown on October 27, pitting incumbent Mayor Carolyn Parrish against former mayor Bonnie Crombie, who served until 2024. The rivalry between the two stretches back 15 years.

The contest began in 2011 when Crombie defeated Parrish by just 241 votes for a Ward 5 council seat in a byelection. When longtime mayor Hazel McCallion declined to run in 2014, McCallion endorsed Crombie for mayor. Crombie won, while Parrish won the Ward 5 seat. Crombie stepped down in 2024 to lead the Ontario Liberal Party, triggering a mayoral byelection that Parrish won. Crombie stepped down as Liberal leader in January after failing to win a seat in the provincial election and announced her mayoral comeback in July.

The campaign has grown heated. Parrish has accused Crombie of "abandoning" Mississauga, while Crombie has called Parrish a mayor who "just sits behind her desk." Both campaigns released attack-style videos following a Board of Trade debate moderated by CBC News Peel last week, trading clips showcasing the other's stumbles. Parrish also purchased airtime on NewsTalk 1010 to rebroadcast a podcast interview with Brian Crombie, Bonnie's ex-husband.

Top-polling councillors Alvin Tedjo and Dipika Damerla are also running, alongside 10 other candidates. Observers are watching whether the high-profile race energizes voters. Mississauga has historically seen low turnout — 21.84 per cent in 2022, ticking up to 25.7 per cent for the 2024 byelection. Randy Besco, an associate professor of political science at University of Toronto Mississauga, noted that competitive elections typically see higher voter participation because multiple candidates work to mobilize supporters and voters recognize their vote carries weight.