SAN JOSE — Carolyn Parrish, a former Member of Parliament and local councillor, has won the race to become Mississauga’s next mayor. According to unofficial results from the city, Parrish secured the top spot with over 43,000 votes, while her closest competitor, Alvin Tedjo, garnered over 34,000 votes. Dipika Damerla and Stephen Dasko followed in third and fourth places, respectively.
At her victory party, Parrish expressed gratitude to the citizens of Mississauga for their trust. “Your voices have been heard and together we will build a brighter, more inclusive future for our city,” she said. Parrish emphasized her intention to run a positive campaign and announced plans to work closely with the mayors of Brampton and Caledon to advocate for regional interests.
“The region is going to be stronger now because you’re going to have three mayors that actually get along,” she said, highlighting the importance of unity when lobbying for funding at Queen’s Park or Ottawa.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford congratulated Parrish on social media, expressing his eagerness to collaborate on building a stronger Mississauga and Ontario.
During her campaign, Parrish focused heavily on housing issues, proposing the creation of an advisory panel to expedite building approvals in Mississauga, which missed its housing targets in 2023. She also advocated for “gentle infill where lot sizes and access permits” and aimed to rezone vacant offices for housing purposes.
Parrish promised to keep city and regional budgets at or below the rate of inflation and to ensure property taxes remained at or below the cost of living. Her campaign saw increased voter turnout, with 2,250 votes cast during advance voting ahead of polling day on June 10.
Parrish resigned her local council seat early in the campaign to focus on the mayoral race, facing scrutiny for her comments on refugees at one event. Despite this, she maintained her frontrunner status and ultimately secured the mayoral position.
Damerla, a former Ontario Liberal cabinet minister, focused her campaign on revising a controversial bike lane plan on Bloor Street, while Tedjo, who came in second, promised a two-year tax freeze. Both Damerla and Tedjo congratulated Parrish on her victory, celebrating their own campaigns and contributions to the debate.
The election marked one of the most tense and competitive in Mississauga’s history. The city’s previous long-serving mayor, Hazel McCallion, was a dominant figure from 1978 until 2014. McCallion’s successor, Bonnie Crombie, endorsed no candidate upon her resignation to lead the Ontario Liberals, leading to a competitive race among four councillors.
In addition to the mayoral race, Nathalie Hart, the local BIA president, was elected as the new councillor for Ward 5.
Source: https://globalnews.ca/news/10556262/mississauga-election-residents-polls/