Mayoral candidates and community members gathered for a debate on antisemitism and community safety, proceeding in the absence of Mayor Olivia Chow on Tuesday at a synagogue in Toronto.
The forum, hosted by the Jewish Lawyers of Canada, was organized to allow candidates to present their strategies for tackling antisemitism, protecting community institutions, and strengthening public safety in the city. The event’s location was not announced publicly because of security concerns, but it was provided to registered participants.
WATCH:
Mayoral candidate Brad Bradford says he would sit on the Toronto Police Service Board (TPSB), unlike incumbent Olivia Chow, who chose not to.
Bradford says, “It’s a dereliction of duty. It’s an abdication of her responsibility.”
Councillor Shelley Carroll, who chairs… pic.twitter.com/0vRSy7SNqI
— Caryma Sa’d – Lawyer + Political Satirist (@CarymaRules) September 9, 2026
Mayor Chow opted out of the event; her campaign team told local outlets she would not take part in any debates before her re-election campaign officially launches.
Journalist and podcaster Jesse Brown, the debate moderator, addressed the audience regarding the mayor’s absence and the surrounding communication. Brown noted that organizers were left without answers for weeks before being told last week that the event could not be attended because Chow’s campaign does not officially start until September 9. Brown added that when organizers offered to move the date to September 9 instead, they received no reply.
Chow’s primary challengers attended the event: Brad Bradford, a city councilor seeking to unseat the incumbent, and Chris Alexander, a former federal cabinet minister and diplomat pitching a fresh approach from outside municipal hall.
Taking the stage, Bradford opened by addressing the mayor’s absence, stating, “I’m disappointed that the mayor wasn’t here tonight because… we’re not having a real conversation about antisemitism, about Jew-hatred, that’s festered like an infection in the city over the past three years.” Emphasizing that leadership requires direct engagement, he added, “And the mayor’s job is to be the mayor for everybody. And that means you’ve got to show up.”
Bradford contrasted this by committing to active leadership on public safety oversight, explaining, “the first thing I’m going to do… is I’m going to sit on the police board.” He noted that previous mayors served on the board, pointing out that “Olivia Chow chose not to.”
Bradford: ‘If the city is not safe, then the city is not free’
Bradford addressed the pervasive nature of the security crisis facing the community, noting that incidents have impacted schools, synagogues, and local businesses. “If your kids go to a faith-based school and it’s Jewish, well you’ve seen it shot up,” Bradford told the audience. He stressed that the alarming rise in hate incidents affects the entire city, concluding, “If the city is not safe, then the city is not free. And that is what I’m going to be laser-focused on, of course, correcting.”
Mayoral candidate Brad Bradford describes manifestations of antisemitism in Toronto, including schools and businesses being shot at and protests targeting residential neighbourhoods with high concentrations of Holocaust survivors.
Bradford says Toronto is now on the map as one… pic.twitter.com/PkrcfVFSZa
— Caryma Sa’d – Lawyer + Political Satirist (@CarymaRules) September 9, 2026
Chris Alexander told the audience that having strong candidates with different kinds of experience working to end antisemitism and hate crimes was vital for the city.
When pressed on what separates him from Bradford, Alexander contrasted his municipal rival with his own federal cabinet and diplomatic experience, explaining, “The biggest difference is that I’m looking at these things with fresh eyes. I’m coming from outside of council… at the cabinet table in Ottawa, in diplomacy, managing complex issues like a very difficult international community, international military presence, Afghan government in Kabul, and the Department of Immigration.”
Mayoral candidate Chris Alexander describes what sets him apart from his opponent Brad Bradford.
Both Alexander and Bradford differ from incumbent Olivia Chow in one notable respect: they participated in a debate on antisemitism, while Chow opted out.
📸 Sep 8, 2026#Toronto… pic.twitter.com/hUBFFV8B34
— Caryma Sa’d – Lawyer + Political Satirist (@CarymaRules) September 9, 2026
Expanding on how his background equips him to handle local safety and community threats, Alexander emphasized his record of tackling global security challenges head-on. “I’ve actually been working on these issues of counter-terrorism, standing up to Iranian aggression, recognizing who their proxies are, and thinking about the pressures on Canada that come from places far from our borders for my entire career,” Alexander told the audience.
He argued that municipal leaders must recognize how international threats intersect with local security, adding, “We are in a dangerous, a more dangerous world. It’s no longer a cliché or throwaway statement to say that. It’s literally true… And we are not responsible for foreign policy in City Hall, but what we do on issues like this will determine, will set the tone and determine the direction of Canada for years to come.”
Emphasizing that the fight against hate is deeply personal, Alexander noted his lifelong ties to the local community and his family’s history in the area, stating, “I was born here, I grew up here, my parents have always lived here, I’ve always been close to the Jewish community.”
He framed the challenge as an existential priority for the city’s future, adding, “This is existential for me. Tackling this issue, being part of a Toronto that heals itself, that puts itself back on the right track… I’m bringing my expertise, I’m bringing my commitment, I’m bringing energy to this race.”
Toronto city councilor emphasizes broad stakes of the municipal election
Toronto City Councilor Mike Colle also addressed the audience during the event, emphasizing the broader stakes of the municipal election beyond everyday civic issues.
“This is a time like no other time in Toronto’s history,” Colle stated. “This is just not an election about property taxes, congestion, bike lanes.”
Councillor Mike Colle recalls commemorating the 90th anniversary of the Christie Pits riots in 2022, where he highlighted the danger of antisemitism in Toronto.
“And lo and behold, after October 7th… the world exploded. And it exploded right here.”
He then refers to the… pic.twitter.com/gQaMb1i9GM
— Caryma Sa’d – Lawyer + Political Satirist (@CarymaRules) September 9, 2026
Colle stressed that voters must look at the bigger picture regarding leadership and moral conviction, warning, “This is really a seminal time in Toronto’s history when the future of this city and the direction of this city will be decided, because the direction we’re going in right now, without leadership to deal with these problems and without moral persuasion, we are not going to combat this ongoing assault on the Jewish community.”
