Former Toronto mayor John Tory announces he won't run in 2026 municipal election

John Tory won't run in 2026

Photo: The Canadian Press

Then-Toronto Mayor John Tory speaks in the Toronto City Hall council chamber during the budget meeting, on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

John Tory will not be running in Toronto's municipal election this year, the former mayor announced Tuesday.

Tory said he made the decision not because he lacks "the energy or the desire," but out of consideration for his family.

"I feel I cannot put my family and the people I care about through the inevitable attacks on me and my personal life that we've started to see before I've even announced my intentions," he wrote in a statement.

Tory served as Toronto's mayor from 2014 to 2023, when he resigned after admitting to an inappropriate relationship with a staffer.

His resignation came just months after he won a third term, prompting a byelection that saw Olivia Chow succeed him.

"I'm not asking for you to feel sorry for me. I did hold myself to account by stepping down and I know that politics is a tough business — at times, brutal," Tory wrote. "What I'm asking for is your understanding."

He said many residents and business and community leaders had urged him to run again, and he gave the decision "serious consideration." He added he'll continue to do community work through organizations such as the Toronto International Film Festival and the Scarborough Health Network.

Tory said Toronto's leadership must focus on keeping the city safe and affordable while ensuring a reliable transit system and a competitive business climate.

He called the current period "a pivotal moment" in Toronto.

"Toronto has faced challenges before and we have always risen to the occasion," he said. "We can be the economic engine powering the country again. We have to be."

He said he has no plans to endorse anyone at the moment, but "won't hesitate to do so."

The municipal election is set for Oct. 26.