The 2026 Mississauga election is four weeks away, and the mayor’s race is close. Fourteen names are on the list of hopefuls for the mayor’s seat in Canada’s seventh-largest city. Residents vote on Oct. 26. Two of those candidates, incumbent Carolyn Parrish and former mayor Bonnie Crombie, are running level in the polls.
Background: How Mississauga Got Here
Crombie’s exit and the 2024 by-election
Bonnie Crombie left city hall in 2024. After 10 years as mayor, she stepped down to lead the Ontario Liberals and try to unseat the premier. That left the mayor’s chair empty and set off a by-election with a crowded field of candidates.
Carolyn Parrish won that vote on June 10, 2024, with 43,494 votes, or 31.06 per cent. Councillor Alvin Tedjo finished second with 25 per cent. Parrish, a former MP and longtime councillor, took the job for the rest of the 2022-2026 term. So the current campaign is really the first time she has to defend the seat in a full election.
A different kind of ballot in 2026
The timing of this vote is unusual. The 2026 municipal election is the first in Ontario since 2010 that does not overlap with a provincial election in the same year. Without a provincial race competing for attention, local issues get more room. Municipal contests in Mississauga are also non-partisan, so no party labels appear on the ballot. The same day, voters will choose one mayor and 11 city councillors.
Details: Who Is Running for Mayor of Mississauga
The 14-candidate field
The two best-known names are Parrish and Crombie. They are joined by Ward 2 Coun. Alvin Tedjo, Ward 7 Coun. Dipika Damerla and 10 others with varying levels of campaign experience. Crombie and Parrish have faced each other before. In a 2011 by-election for the Ward 5 council seat, Crombie beat Parrish by 2,479 votes to 2,239.
Earlier in the campaign, the list of registered candidates also included George Tavares, David Shaw, Mike Matulewicz and Rahul Mehta. Voters who want the current, complete list should check the City of Mississauga’s official candidate page.
What the polls say
The polling shows how tight things are. A Liaison Strategies poll found Parrish and Crombie each at 35 per cent among decided and leaning voters. Damerla was at 13 per cent and Tedjo at nine per cent. The poll’s margin of error was 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
Parrish’s approval numbers matter too. In the same survey, 42 per cent of respondents said they disapproved of her performance as mayor, while 38 per cent approved. A lot of voters are also still undecided. That is why a poll from the summer should be read as a snapshot, not a forecast.
The debate season
The first big showdown happened on Sept. 25. The top four candidates met at Sheridan College’s Hazel McCallion Campus in a debate hosted by the Mississauga Board of Trade. CBC Peel host Nav Nanwa moderated.
More debates are coming, and one is already controversial. Parrish said early on that she would take part in only three debates and will skip one scheduled for Oct. 5. Crombie and other rivals have criticized that decision and urged her to show up. Parrish says she accepted the first three invitations that came with firm dates and times.
Issues Driving the Mississauga Mayoral Race
AI data centres
Data centres have become the campaign’s most heated local issue. Council approved a one-year pause on new AI data centre developments while staff study their impacts. As chair of that meeting, Parrish did not vote, and Crombie accused her of avoiding a tough decision. Parrish replied that the chair stays neutral and does not vote during debate.
At the debate, the gap between the candidates was narrower than the online sniping suggested. Parrish argued that data centres could draw companies such as AstraZeneca and make room for other growing industries. Tedjo raised concerns about giving limited developable land to American companies, and Crombie questioned whether it is the best use of that land. None of the candidates offered an alternative plan or said they would ban data centres outright.
Policing and the Peel budget
Police funding also came up. Parrish resigned from the Peel Police Service Board two years ago after opposing a large increase to its budget. At the debate, Crombie and Tedjo argued that Mississauga’s mayor should be at that table pushing for the city. Parrish’s answer was that the board is an arm’s-length body, and she could not criticize it while sitting on it. All four candidates agreed that the current regional funding formula means Mississauga pays in more than it gets back.
What the Candidates Are Saying
Both frontrunners are running on the cost of living and safety. Crombie has said she wants her old job back because she believes better days are ahead. In a campaign release she said, “Everywhere I go, I hear the same concerns.” Her campaign describes the contest as a two-way race between her and Parrish.
Parrish points to her record since 2024. On data centres, she told CBC Toronto that “We have been responsive to community concerns on this issue.” Crombie has said she backs the one-year moratorium but worries about a U.S. company owning and operating a data centre in the city.
Impact: Why Ontario Is Watching
The effects reach beyond Mississauga’s borders. Local coverage has called this one of the most closely watched mayoral races in Ontario, with an incumbent facing her predecessor and two sitting councillors. The result will shape how the city handles growth, land use, transit and its share of regional policing costs.
The data centre debate could matter across the province. Other Ontario municipalities are weighing how much land and power to give to AI infrastructure, and they may look to Mississauga’s decision. For the city’s residents, the impact is closer to home: property taxes, safety and who represents them when the region’s budgets are set.
Conclusion: What Happens Next
The next few weeks will test both frontrunners. More debates are scheduled, more polls are likely, and undecided voters could swing the outcome. Turnout will matter too. Only 25.67 per cent of eligible voters took part in the 2024 by-election. A higher number this time could change the result.
The city will elect its mayor and 11 councillors on Oct. 26. Whoever wins inherits a full agenda: data centre rules, police funding, housing pressure and the daily cost of living.
FAQs About the 2026 Mississauga Election
When is the 2026 Mississauga election taking place?
The 2026 Mississauga municipal election will be held on Oct. 26, 2026. It is part of the wider Peel Region and Ontario municipal elections. Voters will pick one mayor and 11 city councillors. Because municipal races in Mississauga are non-partisan, candidates run as individuals and no party names appear on the ballot. Advance voting dates, voting locations and identification requirements are set by the City of Mississauga, so residents should confirm them on the city’s official election website before heading out.
Who are the candidates in the 2026 Mississauga mayoral race?
Fourteen candidates registered for mayor. The four with the highest profiles are incumbent Mayor Carolyn Parrish, former mayor Bonnie Crombie, Ward 2 Coun. Alvin Tedjo and Ward 7 Coun. Dipika Damerla. Parrish and Crombie are the frontrunners in public polling. Tedjo and Damerla trail them but are still taking part in the major debates. The other ten candidates have much lower profiles, and earlier lists included George Tavares, David Shaw, Mike Matulewicz and Rahul Mehta. The official candidate list on the city’s website is the best place to see the final names.
Why is the Mississauga mayoral election attracting attention across Ontario?
Several things come together in this race. An incumbent is facing the mayor she replaced, and a summer poll had them tied. The city is Canada’s seventh-largest, so the outcome affects a very large number of people. The campaign has also focused on issues other Ontario communities are dealing with, including AI data centres, policing costs and affordability. This is also the first Ontario municipal election since 2010 that is not held in the same year as a provincial vote, so local questions are getting more attention than usual.
