Toronto mayoral race tightens as public safety rises to the top, poll suggests

A new Mainstreet Research poll suggests public safety is the leading concern for many Toronto residents as the city’s mayoral race tightens ahead of the October vote. The survey found that more than 80% of respondents said crime and public safety were an important factor in deciding how they will vote. Olivia Chow remains the frontrunner with 38.1% support, while Brad Bradford is close behind at 31.4%. Chris Alexander was third at 8%. The poll also found that around 70% of respondents were concerned about crime, with many saying they worry about assaults, robberies, gun violence, fraud, transit disorder, breakins and vehicle theft. At the same time, Toronto police said the city has recorded 57 shootings so far this year, which is the secondlowest total at this point in the year in two decades.