Xiaohua Gong Returns to Toronto Mayoral Race With Tax Relief and Government Reform Platform
TORONTO, Ontario, Oct. 1, 2026 —Steven Zhao, Canada & World Report— Xiaohua (Edward) Gong, a Canadian entrepreneur, media executive and politician, is running for mayor of Toronto with a platform focused on property tax relief, government efficiency, public safety, housing and economic development ahead of the Oct. 26 municipal election.
His candidacy follows a series of municipal and federal campaigns. Gong contested Toronto’s 2023 mayoral by-election, finishing 11th among 102 candidates with 2,983 votes. He subsequently ran for mayor of Mississauga in the June 2024 by-election and for a seat in Canada’s House of Commons in Don Valley North in April 2025, without party affiliation.
Gong’s professional background spans television, hotels, business investment and cultural production. Canada & World Report’s previous coverage describes his involvement in businesses in Canada and the United States, alongside televised galas, community events and charitable fundraising.
His published biography lists the establishment of two television operations in 2012, including Canada National Television, and the founding of US National Television in 2017. His work in media and entertainment has also included multicultural performances and public events.
Gong says more than two decades in business have shaped his approach to municipal management. At the Sept. 12 opening of his campaign office in North York, he described experience with staffing, taxes, investment decisions and changing market conditions as relevant to the pressures facing households and small businesses.
“I am a businessman. I have been in business for more than 20 years, and I have experienced these challenges firsthand,” Gong said.
His current campaign website calls for freezing tax increases and working toward a 3% annual reduction in property taxes. It also proposes a one-time emergency payment of C$1,000 to Canadian citizens aged 18 and over living in Toronto, as relief from rising living costs.
Gong has said tax reductions should be supported by reviews of municipal spending, improved departmental efficiency and economic growth. His stated approach is to identify unnecessary expenditure and direct resources toward essential public services.
He proposes a Department of Government Efficiency to review administrative spending, reduce waste and improve financial transparency.
Gong has also called for measurable performance targets for municipal departments, including project deadlines, cost control and benefits delivered to residents. He argues that assessing infrastructure projects should include the effects of delays and disruption on nearby businesses, as well as construction costs.
On public safety, his website proposes a Polar Bear Special Task Force to respond to serious crime, alongside stronger community policing and improved compensation and workplace protections for frontline officers.
He has also advocated reviewing police deployment at construction sites to make more officers available for community patrols and investigations, subject to applicable rules. At his campaign office opening, he emphasized shootings, robberies and other serious violent offences as priorities.
Housing proposals include faster construction of seniors’ housing and affordable rental homes, shorter waiting times and better conditions for older adults and working families.
For homelessness and street encampments, Gong proposes more affordable housing and temporary accommodation, combined with housing placement, employment assistance and social support.
Gong has also suggested examining newer construction technologies that meet Canadian building and environmental standards, with the aim of reducing costs and accelerating the delivery of seniors’ housing.
He has separately proposed studying free TTC travel for residents aged 60 and older, linking the measure’s feasibility to improved transit finances and operating efficiency.
Economic development is another part of his platform. Gong says he would use his business and international investment experience to attract capital, technology companies and emerging industries, while promoting trade and commercial exchanges with overseas markets.
He also advocates expanding Toronto’s nighttime economy through waterfront activity, restaurants, hotels, entertainment and cultural venues. In his view, a wider range of evening business and tourism activity could create jobs and broaden the city’s economic base.
His previous federal campaign addressed university tuition, access to health care, attracting international talent, energy development, trade and digital transformation. Those proposals formed part of his 2025 parliamentary campaign; his current mayoral platform concentrates on municipal taxation, services, housing and local economic development.
His earlier Toronto campaign similarly emphasized reducing residents’ tax burden, improving public safety and supporting business growth. The 2026 bid continues those themes while adding proposals for spending oversight, housing support and direct financial relief.
Gong has also used community events to introduce his campaign to residents. At Toronto’s Pride parade on June 28, he appeared with his team on a blue-and-yellow float, wearing a Batman-inspired costume alongside messages about protecting the city and stopping tax increases.
During that event, he emphasized respect and equal opportunities for residents from different backgrounds, linking his campaign to Toronto’s multicultural character. He said his priorities included safer communities, employment opportunities for young people and a city where families, businesses and seniors could thrive.
Toronto’s municipal election takes place on Monday, Oct. 26, 2026. Advance voting runs from Oct. 6 to 11. The City of Toronto provides official voting information through its elections website and MyVote service.
Media contact:
Steven Zhao
Canada & World Report
zhao@canadanewsreport.com
