Bonnie Crombie tops new Mississauga Mayoral Poll while sitting Mayor drops to third

Bonnie Crombie leads the new Mainstreet Research poll of Mississauga voters with 33.6 per cent

Bonnie Crombie leads the new Mainstreet Research poll of Mississauga voters with 33.6 per cent, opening a 7.4-point lead over Mayor Carolyn Parrish.

MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO, CANADA, October 20, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Former Mississauga mayor Bonnie Crombie leads the city’s mayoral race, according to the latest Mississauga mayoral poll by Mainstreet Research, conducted for Y Media and released October 19, one week before Ontario’s October 26 municipal election.

Among decided voters, Crombie leads with 33.6 per cent. Ward 2 Councillor Alvin Tedjo follows at 28.4 per cent, and incumbent Mayor Carolyn Parrish places third at 26.2 per cent. Ward 7 Councillor Dipika Damerla receives 4.5 per cent, and 7.3 per cent chose another candidate.

In Mainstreet’s previous survey, completed September 25, Crombie led with 30.4 per cent, Parrish was second at 27.6 per cent and Tedjo third at 20.5 per cent. Since then, Crombie’s support has risen 3.2 points and her margin over the sitting mayor has grown from 2.8 points to 7.4 points, more than double the new poll’s margin of error.

Crombie also placed first in the Liaison Strategies poll conducted October 2 to 4 among 1,000 residents, with 30 per cent among decided and leaning voters to 29 per cent for Parrish and 26 per cent for Tedjo. In that survey, 48 per cent of respondents said Mississauga was headed in the wrong direction, compared with 28 per cent who said it was on the right track.

Mainstreet President and CEO Quito Maggi said Crombie continues to lead, though narrowly, and that her stronger support among older voters “should give her the advantage on election day.” He added that with undecided voters still numerous, the top three remain close.

“Mississauga residents are sending a clear message: they want experienced leadership, taxes under control and a city that moves again,” said Crombie. “This poll tells us our campaign has momentum. But momentum doesn’t cast ballots. People do. We are taking nothing for granted, and our team will be at doors and on phones in every ward until the polls close on Monday.”

The poll also shows which issues are driving the vote. Affordability and cost of living was named the most important issue by 37.1 per cent of respondents, followed by crime and safety at 14.2 per cent and city services for seniors at 13.6 per cent. Asked about their top issue over the past two years, 5.8 per cent said it had gotten better and 46.2 per cent said it had gotten worse.

Bonnie Crombie’s platform, released October 8, is built around those priorities. It commits to a line-by-line review of City spending, an independent Auditor General and City tax increases at or below inflation while protecting frontline services. It would work to raise the annual property tax rebate for eligible low-income seniors to $1,000. Crombie has pledged to return the mayor to the Peel Police Services Board, pursue a Line 2 subway extension into downtown Mississauga and press to open the Hazel McCallion Line by the end of 2028. The platform would also cancel the proposed $2.5-billion redevelopment of the Living Arts Centre lands and redirect those resources to residents’ priorities.

The platform also sets out measures to protect local jobs: targeted tax deferrals for tariff-affected businesses, payment of qualifying local suppliers within 15 days, a commitment to buy Canadian and fast-tracking investments that protect and create Mississauga jobs. It would raise annual recreation assistance to $500 for each eligible participant and strengthen partnerships to prevent evictions, support food programs and advance affordable rental housing.

“Residents told this pollster exactly what matters to them: what things cost, whether their neighbourhoods are safe, and whether seniors can afford to stay in their homes,” said Crombie. “That is the plan we have put forward. I have done this job before, and I am ready to get to work on day one.”

Interest in the race is running high. The City of Mississauga reported a record 44,049 ballots cast during advance voting from October 6 to 11, a 57 per cent increase over advance voting in 2022. In the Mainstreet survey, 20.9 per cent of respondents said they had already voted and a further 70.3 per cent said they were certain to vote. On Monday, October 26, voters may cast a ballot at any voting location in their ward; details on the Mississauga election 2026 are on the City’s website.

About the poll

Mainstreet Research surveyed 942 adults living in Mississauga on October 17 and 18, 2026, using interactive voice response on landlines and cell phones. Results were weighted by gender, age and education. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.2 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, and higher for subgroups. Decided-voter figures exclude the 18.5 per cent of respondents who were undecided. Download the full public poll report (PDF).

About Bonnie Crombie

Bonnie Crombie served as Mayor of Mississauga from 2014 to 2024, succeeding Hazel McCallion, who had led the city for 36 years. She won three consecutive city-wide elections, with 63.5 per cent of the vote in 2014, 76.7 per cent in 2018 and 78.5 per cent in 2022. During her tenure, the province committed in 2015 to fully fund the Hurontario LRT, now the Hazel McCallion Line, which she called the largest infrastructure project in the city’s history. The City also introduced Making Room for the Middle, a housing strategy for Mississauga, in 2017.

Before becoming mayor, Crombie represented Ward 5 on Mississauga City Council and Peel Regional Council from 2011 to 2014 and served as Member of Parliament for Mississauga-Streetsville from 2008 to 2011. From 2023 to 2026 she led the Ontario Liberal Party, which won about 30 per cent of the popular vote in the 2025 provincial election and regained official party status.

Before entering public life, Crombie held senior roles in marketing, public affairs and government relations, including with McDonald’s, The Walt Disney Company and the Insurance Bureau of Canada. She holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto, an MBA from York University’s Schulich School of Business and the Institute of Corporate Directors’ designation, earned through the Rotman School of Management. A Mississauga resident for nearly three decades, she is the mother of three adult children and a new grandmother. Learn more at bonniecrombie.ca.

Bonnie Crombie
Bonnie Crombie
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