Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow says she hasn't decided whether she'll run for re-election in 2026 By Editors of Can't Be Censored November 11, 2025 TORONTO- In a wide-ranging interview on Can't Be Censored, Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow says she hasn't decided whether she'll run for re-election in 2026, leaving open the possibility that she won't. Chow said she plans to make her decision by the Spring.
"I don't know," she said when asked if she'll seek another term. "I'm too busy right now to think about it, it's not even 2026." Chow explained that her decision will depend on whether she feels she's accomplished what she set out to do in her first term: ensuring every child in Toronto receives a meal at school, expanding library hours on Sundays, and making measurable progress on housing affordability. "If I can get those things done, maybe that's enough," she said. "If I can't, then I probably need another term."
Since taking office in 2023, Chow says she has steered the city through an immense fiscal challenge, inheriting a $1.8-billion deficit and securing a "New Deal" with Premier Doug Ford that transferred responsibility for the Gardiner Expressway and Don Valley Parkway to the province.
She also talked about advancing an ambitious housing strategy focused on speeding up approvals, cutting development fees, and encouraging mixed-income projects. According to the Mayor, more than 25,000 units are now under construction, roughly a third of them designated as affordable.
Still, Chow's time in office has not been without criticism. Despite some policy wins, Can't Be Censored
spoke to residents who say they haven't yet seen tangible results. Housing affordability remains out of reach for many, encampments and homelessness continue to plague the city, and congestion and transit delays are persistent frustrations. Recent polling has shown Toronto divided on whether the city is headed in the right direction, with calls for more visible action on public safety and cost-of-living issues.
Chow acknowledged those frustrations but argued that optimism and cooperation remain essential. "Life is hard, I get it," she said. "The point is to keep working together. Stronger together...that's what I believe in." When pressed on her political future, Chow laughed and deflected but left the door open. "Ask me again in May or June," she told hosts Travis Dhanraj and Karman Wong.
The full Can't Be Censored
interview with Mayor Olivia Chow drops Wednesday on YouTube, Spotify, and the Can't Be Censored app.