August 21st, 2026

Today, I am suspending my campaign for City Council in Ward 11 University—Rosedale and withdrawing my name from the ballot. I am proud to endorse Mike Layton in his bid to become our next city councillor.

In the six months since leaving my role at City Hall in February, my team and I have knocked on tens of thousands of doors, and had conversations with residents, from Rosedale to Little Italy, about how we can make this city a better place to live.

My goal has always been to implement actionable, evidence-based policy, informed by the needs of the neighbourhoods that I aspire to represent. My team and I have moved the needle on issues from streetcars, to public seating, and water subsidies. 

In the face of opposition, we have led conversations on policy — not parentage or partisanship. We took the fight to City Hall, speaking in favour of faster streetcars, and against the apathy that leads councillors to waste time explaining why better things are not possible, instead of focussing on how to make them actionable.

The climate crisis looms large in every decision that I make. We do not have time for apathy. A plan for our city that meets the moment requires ambition on building new housing, and an unwavering commitment to prioritizing public transit.

I believe that Mike Layton is the best choice to deliver this plan. Mike has a proven track record on transit affordability, ambitious housing projects, and building better bike lanes. In our conversations over the past weeks, we have found much common ground on these issues.

To those of you who have discovered, or re-discovered, a passion for city-building through this campaign: do not give it up.

To my volunteers and everyone who has supported me: it has meant the world. You took a chance on a 25 year-old with big ideas. This campaign was not sanctioned by any party or politician. It was led by young people who believed in a better future for Toronto.

I still believe in that future. Across the city, progressive candidates are continuing to fight for change. My role in that fight has shifted — for now — but not ended.

There is a saying in Pirkei Avot, the Jewish Ethics of the Fathers: “you are not required to complete the work, nor are you free to abandon it.” The work is not yet done, and neither am I.