Former Toronto city councillor Mike Layton has announced he’ll be running again to represent his old ward, University-Rosedale, following a four-year hiatus from city hall.
In a statement posted to social media platform X Monday, Layton said the upcoming municipal election “is a chance to elect a progressive mayor and council who can effect meaningful change,” and he wants to help lead that movement.
“Together, we can build a city everyone can afford to live in and a city we can be proud to call home,” Layton wrote.
Layton was previously councillor for University-Rosedale from 2010 to 2022, but announced he would not seek re-election in the last municipal election because he wanted to spend more time with his family.
During his time on council, Layton was a consistent advocate for environmental issues and road safety projects, including the Bloor Street bike lanes which Ford now has legal permission to rip out.
If re-elected, Layton hopes to push for affordable housing and transit and put solar panels on rooftops to reduce reliance on fossil fuels, he said in his statement.
Toronto’s current mayor, Olivia Chow, is Layton’s stepmother. She was married to his father, the late Jack Layton, who was himself a Toronto councillor beginning in the 1980s before moving into federal politics and leading the New Democratic Party.
There are currently 10 candidates competing to be councillor for Ward 11, University-Rosedale, including the incumbent Dianne Saxe who won her seat following Layton’s resignation. You can read the full list of candidates on the city’s website.