Former Mississauga mayor and Ontario Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie is seeking a return to municipal politics, confirming that she plans to enter the 2026 race for mayor of Mississauga.
Crombie confirmed on July 12th, that she intends to register as a candidate on Tuesday, setting up a high-profile contest against incumbent Mayor Carolyn Parrish and current city councillors Alvin Tedjo and Dipika Damerla.
The campaign marks a political comeback for Crombie, who served in the mayoral office for nearly a decade before leaving City Hall to enter provincial politics. Crombie served as mayor from 2014 until January 2024, succeeding longtime mayor Hazel McCallion. Before becoming mayor, she represented Ward 5 on Mississauga City Council and served federally as the Liberal member of Parliament for Mississauga–Streetsville from 2008 to 2011.
During her 2023 Ontario Liberal leadership campaign, she faced scrutiny over donations from people connected to the development and construction industries. She raised nearly $60,000 from property developers during her 2022 mayoral re-election in Mississauga, which sparked early debate. During the Ontario Liberal leadership contest, rival candidates heavily criticized Crombie over her aggressive fundraising, much of which came from the real estate development sector. She defended her fundraising prowess as a necessary tool to defeat the Progressive Conservatives.
While campaigning for the provincial election, Crombie again faced political heat from opponents—notably NDP Leader Marit Stiles—over her party accepting $25,000 in political donations from private health-care organizations, which critics argued contradicted her stance on the public health system
Critics argued this created a political vulnerability, particularly as the Ford government was facing the Greenbelt controversy, although accepting lawful political donations is not itself evidence of wrongdoing. She also faced criticism from some Mississauga councillors over whether she could continue effectively serving as mayor while campaigning for the provincial Liberal leadership.
She resigned as mayor after winning the Ontario Liberal Party leadership in December 2023. Crombie subsequently led the Liberals into the 2025 Ontario election but was unable to defeat Premier Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives. She later resigned as party leader in January 2026.
Her return to Mississauga politics puts her directly against Carolyn Parrish, the woman who succeeded her as mayor.
Parrish won the June 2024 mayoral by-election, which was triggered by Crombie’s departure, and was elected to serve the remaining two years of the 2022-2026 council term.
Parrish previously served as a federal member of Parliament representing Mississauga-area ridings from 1993 to 2006 before moving into municipal politics. She served on Mississauga City Council during two separate periods, including as Ward 5 councillor from 2014 until resigning in 2024 to run for mayor.
As Mississauga mayor, she has faced criticism over comments connected to the Israel-Gaza conflict.
She also drew heavy criticism and calls for censure after allowing a vigil for deceased Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar on city property and drawing an offensive comparison between him and Nelson Mandela.
While serving as a city councillor, she was docked pay and forced to undergo sensitivity training for sending offensive text messages referencing Peel Deputy Chief Ingrid Berkeley-Brown.
She has since faced scrutiny over misleading claims about the vote she cast over the widely condemned police board’s 23.3 budget increase while still an active member. As a result, she submitted her resignation from the police board, and subsequent criticism of the police budget also became a significant municipal political issue.
In addition to the incumbent and former Mayor, the 2026 race also includes Ward 2 Councillor Alvin Tedjo, who represents communities including Clarkson, Lorne Park, Sheridan Homelands and Park Royal. Tedjo was elected to Mississauga City Council in 2022 and also serves at the Region of Peel. He previously ran for mayor in the 2024 by-election, making the upcoming contest his second bid for the city’s top political office.
In April 2026, Councillor Tedjo proposed a three-month waiver on late fees and interest charges for taxpayers. Mayor Carolyn Parrish and other opponents slammed the motion as a “pre-election gimmick,” and it failed on a 6-6 council vote. In addition, in late 2025, Tedjo brought forward a motion to rename Duke of York Boulevard due to Prince Andrew’s revoked titles and alleged ties to sex trafficking. The proposal sparked public debate over the costs and necessity of altering a major downtown street.
Tedjo also voted in favor of the controversial 23.3 per cent Peel Regional Police budget increase—a decision that was met with mixed public opinions. He acknowledged the financial strain but argued it was a necessary tool to address public safety.
A motion brought forward by Tedjo to move city development meetings to daytime hours sparked community pushback. Residents and community groups criticized the change for limiting evening public engagement and accessibility.
During his Mayoral bid in 2024, Tedjo’s proposal to draw from reserve funds to freeze residential property taxes became a central point of debate. Some forum users debated whether his specific housing and transit policies were pragmatic or unsustainable financial maneuvers
Ward 7 Councillor Dipika Damerla is also seeking the mayoralty. Damerla has represented Ward 7, including Cooksville, Fairview and Dixie, since 2018 and previously served in provincial politics as the Liberal MPP for Mississauga East–Cooksville from 2011 to 2018.
During her time at Queen’s Park, Damerla served as Associate Minister of Health and Long-Term Care with responsibility for long-term care and wellness and later as Ontario’s Minister of Seniors Affairs under the Kathleen Wynne government.
During her 2024 mayoral by-election campaign, Damerla faced fierce public blowback from fellow councillor Chris Fonseca. Fonseca formally accused Damerla of violating the city’s code of conduct and using her platform to “instill anger and hate” by aggressively campaigning against a community project that council had already approved.
Damerla drew heavy criticism from urban planning advocates and fellow council members when she vowed to cancel the approved Bloor Street bike lane project. Opponents slammed her stance as an outdated, car-centric approach that undermined the city’s modern transit goals.
In mid-2024, Damerla launched a highly aggressive social media ad campaign targeting Carolyn Parrish. The ads featured a clipped 10-second video accusing Parrish of wanting to double land transfer taxes. Parrish and media fact-checkers criticized the ad for oversimplifying a complex issue and removing her comments from their original context.
In April 2025, Damerla pushed a contentious demand for an independent strategic audit of the Peel Regional Police’s massive budget. While framed as a move for fiscal accountability, it sparked division over how municipal safety funds should be reviewed and managed.
In late 2025, Damerla authored a historic but highly debated motion formally denouncing Hinduphobia in Mississauga. While it passed unanimously to “name and shame” discrimination, it took place against a backdrop of complex, tense geopolitical and community divisions within the Greater Toronto Area.
She also ran for mayor in the 2024 by-election. She has since faced criticism in her decision to seek a return to provincial politics in the 2022 Ontario election while serving as a Mississauga councillor, including surrounding her leave of absence.
As of Sunday, six candidates had registered to run for mayor, with Crombie expected to officially add her name to the field on Tuesday.
The entry of a former mayor and former provincial party leader is expected to significantly reshape the race, setting up a closely watched contest over the future leadership of one of Canada’s largest cities.
