Bonnie Crombie announces she will run for mayor of Mississauga

Crombie ended months of speculation with a Sunday message to a small group of supporters.

Bonnie Crombie will officially enter the race for mayor of Mississauga on Tuesday, ending months of speculation that the most recent Ontario Liberal leader would try to win back her old job. “Please join me as I officially register as a candidate,” Crombie wrote in a short message sent to a small group of supporters and Mississauga councillors on Sunday. “I’d love to have you there as we mark this exciting moment together.”

Crombie succeeded the legendary Hazel McCallion as mayor in 2014. After being re-elected to a third-term in a landslide in 2022, she left to run for the Ontario Liberal leadership a year later. Though the party made back some ground and regained official party status in the 2025 provincial election, Crombie lost her bid for the Mississauga—Cooksville seat and resigned as leader last year.

She will be running against former council colleague and current mayor Carolyn Parrish, who won a June 2024 byelection, as well as current councillors Alvin Tedjo and Dipika Damerla. In a post on X on Saturday evening, Parrish said Crombie “announced today, at a community BBQ, that Mississauga needs stable leadership. I agree!

I believe in fact we have that now! No aspirations to other levels of government. Total dedication to our city.

Hopefully we all agree with Ms. Crombie.” Alongside the post, she shared a CP24 clip from her 2024 election night win in which Crombie says she is “ecstatic that Carolyn has won” and says Parrish will be a “formidable mayor.” Parrish’s comment raises a key question observers of the race have had: how will Crombie convince voters she deserves her former position after she suddenly left.

Crombie entering the race will also bring provincial involvement to the fall municipal election. In March, Premier Doug Ford said he would “send an army” to help Parrish defeat Crombie. Crombie declined a request for an interview Sunday, and said she would have more to say on Tuesday.