Mississauga residents have elected just their third mayor since 1978.
Carolyn Parrish has emerged victorious with more than 43,000 votes in the mayoral byelection. City councillor Alvin Tedjo finished second with approximately 34,000 votes.
Here is a look back at the highlights.
9:30 p.m.
Former Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie has shown up at Carolyn Parrish’s victory party to personally congratulate her. Crombie says she is “ecstatic” Parrish has won and is confident she will be a “formidable mayor” and a strong voice for Mississauga.
9:20 p.m.
Parrish is addressing supporters following her win in Mississauga’s mayoral election. She says the region (Peel) is going to be “stronger now because you will have three mayors that will actually get along” and will work together to push Queen’s Park for their “fair share of funding.”
9:15 p.m.
Premier Doug Ford has taken to social media to congratulate Parrish on her election. Ford says he is looking forward to working with Parrish in building a “stronger Mississauga and a stronger Ontario.” In a separate post, Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow also congatulated Parrish, noting that she looks forward to working together “on the issues that affect our region.”
1 p.m.
More than 24,000 Mississauga residents took advantage of advance voting in the lead up to election day. City officials have said that the first of two weekends of advance voting saw a 42 per cent increase in turnout compared to 2022.
11:40 a.m.
Mayoral candidate and current city councillor Stephen Dasko is spending election day making some last-minute get-out-the-vote calls from his campaign office. He told CTV News Toronto that he believes this is the “most important election we will ever have in the city.”
“We want to set our course and this is the opportunity to do it right now,” he said, listing taxation, housing and public safety as some of the top issues. “Nobody should be looking out their front window to see if their car is still in the driveway when they are going to bed.”
11 a.m.
Former Mississauga mayor Bonnie Crombie cast her ballot at Riverside Public School in Port Credit shortly after 11 a.m. Speaking with reporters outside the polling station, Crombie said that this byelection will provide residents with an opportunity to choose a mayor that “will kick off the next 50 years of Mississauga’s history” after just four mayors held the role during Mississauga’s first 50 years, largely due to Hazel McAllion’s 36-year tenure.
“My message today is to encourage everyone to get out and vote because in municipal elections the turnout is notoriously low. It was less than 22 per cent in the last general election so today the message is please get out and vote,” she said.
Ontario Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie is shown arriving at a polling station in Mississauga with her voting card on June 10. (CP24)
10:45 a.m.
Mayoral candidate Carolyn Parrish cast her ballot at Huron Park Recreation Centre just before 11 a.m. Parrish, a former city councillor and Member of Parliament, had a sizeable in a number of early polls but in recent weeks her advantage appears to have shrunk, with at least one recent poll putting her just one point ahead of Dipika Damerla among decided voters. Speaking with CP24 on Monday morning, Parrish said that housing is looming large for her as residents head to the polls.
“We have to get at it right away,” she said. “We are losing the 18 to 25 year olds, they are leaving town and we have to hang on to them. Housing is absolutely essential.”
10 a.m.
The polls have officially opened across Mississauga as the city gets set to elect a new mayor, following the resignation of Bonnie Crombie earlier this year. The winner of the byelection will have the opportunity to serve as Mississauga’s mayor until the next civic election, scheduled for Oct, 2026.