Olivia Chow elected mayor of Toronto

Olivia Chow has been elected mayor of Toronto ending almost 13 years of right-leaning rule at Toronto City Hall and becoming the first woman and the first visible minority person to lead the city since amalgamation.

Olivia Chow has been elected mayor of Toronto, ending almost 13 years of right-leaning rule at Toronto City Hall and becoming the first woman and the first visible minority person to lead post-amalgamation Toronto.

Chow, 66, was the favourite to win the race from the moment she entered and managed to command a decisive lead in the polls, though the race on election night ended up being a photo finish between her and Ana Bailão.

CP24 made the call at 9 p.m., with Chow appearing to have secured 37.2 per cent of the vote with more than 96 per cent of polls reporting. Bailão came in a close second, with 32.5 per cent of the vote.

A packed crowd of supporters erupted into cheers as the result was announced at Chow’s campaign headquarters.

Chow came out to speak with supporters shortly after 9:30 p.m.

“Wow. Thank you, Toronto! Thank you everyone. What a night!” she said, flanked by family. “If you ever doubted what’s possible together, if you ever questioned your faith in a better future, in what we can do with each other, for each other, tonight is your answer.”

She thanked the people of the city for their “mandate for change” as the city’s new mayor and pledged to dedicate herself to “work tirelessly to build a city that is more caring, more affordable and safe, where everyone belongs” and also thanked her supporters and volunteers for their tireless efforts.