Adedokun Waliyu 
Mississauga mayor Bonnie Crombie has officially registered to run for leader of the Ontario Liberal Party.
Crombie is expected to formally announce her run at a press conference on Wednesday.
In late May, Crombie confirmed with CityNews that she had set up an exploratory committee for a potential leadership bid.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford addressed the speculation that Crombie was considering a run, saying it would be a “slap in the face” to Mississauga residents for her to remain as mayor while running for Liberal leader.
Crombie later explained that exploring a leadership bid with the Ontario Liberal Party while remaining mayor would not present any conflicts — she would not back down from Ford either way.
“I am who I am. I’m very direct, I’m very forward, and you’ll always know where you stand with me,” she said. “I think the Premier has bristled at some of my comments in the past, and that shouldn’t change.”
The 63-year-old was first elected in 2014 to the mayoral seat in Mississauga after longtime mayor Hazel McCallion retired and has since been reelected twice in 2018 and 2022.
Crombie was also a federal Liberal Member of Parliament from 2008 to 2011.
The Ontario Liberals will announce a new leader on December 2, 2023, to replace Steven Del Duca, who resigned after the party did not win enough seats in last year’s election to have official party status at the legislature for the second campaign in a row.
