Candidate Tracker: The people campaigning to represent Brampton & Mississauga at Queen’s Park 

There are 11 seats in Brampton and Mississauga, and with the provincial election officially underway following Doug Ford’s decision to dissolve Parliament early and send Ontarians to the polls on February 27, Canada’s vote-rich seventh and ninth largest cities are set to become popular destinations for party leaders and candidates over the next 29 days. 

Ford was in Brampton just last week making a promise to finally push the Hurontario LRT into the city’s downtown core. It was a pledge that did not have any funding attached to it. 

NDP Leader Marit Stiles was in Brampton on Monday announcing that if elected, on her first day as premier she would eliminate Highway 407 tolls on the provincially-owned sections, and open negotiations with the owners of the roadway to cut the tolls entirely. 

Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie, who promises to match every Ontarian with a family doctor (the Ontario Medical Association says more than 2.5 million people in the province do not have one and that figure is on track to reach 4.4 million next year), has announced she will be running in the riding of Mississauga East—Cooksville, previously held by PC MPP Kaleed Rasheed, who resigned from the Party after providing inconsistent evidence to Ontario’s Integrity Commissioner who investigated the Greenbelt scandal.

Ford has enjoyed rising popularity across the province since the scandal devastated his approval ratings, and has had a comfortable lead over both Stiles and Crombie according to polls. But recent data, according to surveys taken since it was clear there would be an early election, show that could be starting to shift as some Ontarians indicate they are not happy with Ford’s decision to force a snap winter campaign. 

Over the last week, Ford has received criticism from advocates, opposition politicians and labour groups. They have labelled him a political opportunist, using the tariff threat from Donald Trump as an excuse to cement four more years in power instead of doing the job of fixing issues like housing, healthcare and education which are his primary responsibility.

Critics have blown holes through his justification, pointing out that Ford and his PCs, who already have a powerful majority government, do not require an early election mandate to deal with Trump.

His opponents have pointed to two reasons for the decision, both are political: the fear of running in 2026 with a Conservative federal government in place by then (and no effective counter balance in the country’s largest province); and the possibility of criminal charges against members of the PC Party when the RCMP concludes its ongoing investigation into the Greenbelt scandal.

The Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) called the early election “reckless and irresponsible”, and accused Ford of focusing on politics instead of actually mobilizing to prepare for the impact of any tariffs. 

“It’s not Doug Ford who will pay the price for these tariffs; it’s Ontario workers, their families, and the communities they call home. British Columbia, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Manitoba have all established tariff tables to address the threat to jobs and communities. It’s time Ontario followed suit,” Laura Walton, President of the OFL, said in a press release.

Ford’s claim that he requires a “strong mandate” in order to combat four years of Trump has also been criticized. The PC government already has a strong majority at Queen’s Park, and both Crombie and Stiles stated they would cooperate with any stimulus package put together to help businesses and industries deal with the tariff threat, not that the PCs need their cooperation, with their overwhelming majority. 

Now, residents in Brampton and Mississauga, two cities that were completely blue after the last election, will have 29 days to decide if they want four more years of Ford. 

In Mississauga, aside from Rasheed, each of the PC incumbents will be seeking reelection, and the majority of ridings officially have challengers from both the Liberal Party and Ontario Greens. The NDP have yet to name a single candidate in the city. 

In Brampton, the five PC incumbents are all seeking reelection, and as of Tuesday the playing field appears fairly sparse. 

With the campaign officially underway, here’s a look at the candidates across Brampton and Mississauga.

Mississauga—Streetsville

PC: Nina Tangri (I)

LIB: Jill Promoli

GR: Christopher Hill

NDP: ?

Liberal candidate Jill Promoli and Green party candidate Chris Hill will be going up against PC incumbent Nina Tangri. As the Mississauga—Streetsville representative since 2018, Tangri has served in several roles with the PCs, including Associate Minister of Small Business and Red Tape reduction, Associate Minister of Housing and most recently Associate Minister of Small Business. She was an entrepreneur and small business owner with over 30 years experience in financial management prior to stepping into the political realm. Development has been high on the list of priorities for the incumbent candidate, but she has been criticized for her lack of attention to the environment. 

Liberal Jill Promoli currently serves as a school board trustee for the Peel District School Board. As a resident of Mississauga for nearly 15 years, she previously ran as the Liberal candidate for Mississauga—Streetsville in the 2022 provincial election. She has disappointed supporters who were told she would be a strong voice for proper representation at the troubled board, before going silent on key issues around discrimination once she was elected. Prior to assuming her role as trustee, Promoli worked for RBC in Toronto and taught ESL in South Korea before moving on to manage her own business.

Green party candidate Christopher Hill, who has been a Streetsville resident for over 30 years, previously ran federally for the Green party in three elections — 2011, 2015 and 2019 — in the Mississauga—Streetsville riding. In 2021, ahead of the federal election vote, he was the only candidate to clearly state he would not support Highway 413. He has a masters of Business Administration from the University of Toronto and has worked with various municipalities on environmental leadership, including the City of Toronto, City of Hamilton and the City of Guelph.

Mississauga—Malton

PC: Deepak Anand (I)

LIB: Jawad Haroon

GR: Shellina Esmail 

NDP: ?

In a community rich in diversity and complex needs, Mississauga—Malton would benefit from a strong voice to represent what has traditionally been an overlooked community. During his second term, incumbent Deepak Anand has worked as a parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Finance and a parliamentary assistant to the Associate Minister of Small Business.

The PC incumbent will be pitted against Liberal candidate Jawad Haroon and Green Party candidate Shellina Esmail. Haroon, who has resided in Malton since the 1990s, holds a doctorate in Nuclear Engineering and is a professional engineer with a 15-year career in the energy industry. He currently works as a program manager and is also a part-time lecturer at a university in Toronto. During his time in Malton, Haroon has served as the director of the Mississauga-Malton Provincial Liberal Association and committee member for the Malton Community Building Project Network.

The Pointer was unable to find any information about Esmail.

Mississauga—Lakeshore

PC: Rudy Cuzzetto (I)

LIB: Elizabeth Mendes

GR: Julia Budahazy 

NDP: ?

PC incumbent Rudy Cuzzetto will once again be vying for the lakefront riding. Since being elected to office in 2018, Cuzzetto has served as a member of several standing committees and has acted as Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Energy and Electrification since March 2024.  

Cuzzetto will go up against Liberal Party candidates Elizabeth Mendes and Green Party candidate Julia Budahazy. A lifelong resident, small-business owner, and mother, Mendes has experience in public policy and advocacy with a background as director of policy and budget at the Ministry of Finance. Prior to working with the provincial government in the Ministry of Labour, Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration, and finally as Director of Policy and Budget at the Ministry of Finance, Mendes graduated from the University of Toronto. Mendes now leads her own small business and previously served on the board of a not-for-profit long-term care home.

Julia Budahazy has been named the Green Party candidate for the riding. According to the party’s website, Budahazy is a multilingual professional with a background in real estate, teaching, marketing and public relations. She currently works for Co-operators, providing financial services and advice. A resident of Mississauga—Lakeshore since 2008, the Green Party candidate carries a passion for sustainability. 
 

Mississauga Centre

PC: Natalia Kusendova-Bashta (I)

LIB: ?

GR: Robert Chan

NDP: ?

Natalia Kusendova will be seeking re-election for Mississauga Centre. Kusendova has held the position of Minister of Long-Term Care since June 2024 and has served on several standing committees, including the standing committee on social policy (which she later chaired), the standing committee on justice policy and was vice-chair of the standing committee on general government after she participated as a member.

Also vying for the riding is Green Party candidate Robert Chan who ran as the Mississauga — Malton candidate in the 2022 general election. 

No Liberal Party candidate has been nominated as of January 29. 

Mississauga East—Cooksville

PC: Sylvia Gualtieri

LIB: Bonnie Crombie

GR: ?

NDP: ?

The PCs have named Silvia Gualtieri as the candidate for Mississauga—Cooksville, stepping into the position after Kaleed Rasheed announced late last year he would not be seeking reelection following his resignation from the PC Party.   

Gualtieri is the mother-in-law of Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown and sister of Cuzzetto, who is also vying to keep his seat at Queen’s Park. The PC candidate and lifelong Mississauga resident was previously one of eight contenders looking to fill the empty Mississauga Ward 2 seat in the 2022 municipal election after Karen Ras resigned. Gualtieri was ultimately beaten by Alvin Tedjo. She has spent many years working behind the scenes in politics at the provincial and federal level, serving as a campaign manager and fundraising chair. 

Leader of the Ontario Liberal Party Bonnie Crombie will be running against Gualtieri for the Mississauga East—Cooksville riding. Formerly the popular mayor of Mississauga, Crombie won the Party’s leadership race in late 2023. Prior to her decade-long career as Mississauga’s mayor, Crombie sat as a councillor for Ward 5 and previously served federally as the Liberal representative for the Mississauga—Streetsville riding from 2008 to 2011. Prior to that the MBA holder had a long career in the corporate world, as a public affairs professional for Fortune 500 companies. 

Mississauga—Erin Mills

PC: Sheref Sabawy (I)

LIB: Qasir Dar

GR: Adriane Franklin

NDP: ?

PC incumbent Sheref Sabawy has been a member of multiple standing committees since being elected in 2018. He was previously a parliamentary assistant for the Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery until March 2024 when he assumed the role of Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism, which he has held since. 

Liberal candidate Qasir Dar has a background in economics and teaching. According to his website, Dar started out on the sales floor and worked his way up to manage big box stores in Mississauga before transitioning into a career in the Government of Canada. Locally, the Liberal candidate has served on the Churchill Meadows Residents Association, organized fundraising campaigns for Food Banks Mississauga and local hospitals and supported public health awareness campaigns.

Adriane Franklin has been named the Green Party candidate. Franklin ran for the party in the 2022 provincial election for Mississauga Centre.

No candidate has been named by the Ontario NDP.

Brampton Centre

PC: Charmaine Williams (I)

LIB: ?

GR: ?

NDP: Sukhamrit Singh

PC incumbent Charmaine Williams has one challenger so far in Brampton Centre, the NDP’s Sukhamrit Singh.

Williams was first elected in June 2022, making the jump from Brampton City Hall where she served as a councillor, defeating NDP incumbent and deputy Party leader Sara Singh in an upset. She has served as the Associate Minister of Women’s Social and Economic Opportunity since 2022. Before entering politics, Williams had a 19-year career as a certified Multi-Systemic Therapist, Behavioural Consultant, and Counselor. 

Singh is entering his first election campaign.The NDP’s official website states Singh is a reservist in the Canadian Armed Forces and pursuing law.

Brampton West

PC: Amarjot Sandhu (I)

LIB: Andrew Kania

GR: ?

NDP: ?

The contest in Brampton West features Liberal candidate Andrew Kania and PC incumbent Amarjot Sandhu. The NDP has not yet finalized its representative.

Sandhu was first elected in 2018 amid controversy, after being charged with operating illegal secondary units then failing to address the issues for a protracted period. He had no work experience and in his welcome speech inside Queen’s Park Sandhu described himself as a former international student. He has mostly served as a backbench MPP since then. He has served as Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Infrastructure since June 2022. 

Kania is a lawyer, longtime Liberal figure in Brampton and the former Member of Parliament for Brampton West, holding the seat between 2008 and 2011. During his time in office, he served as the Associate Justice Critic and was a member of Canada’s Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security. Kania is the Senior Counsel at Kania Lawyers, a legal practice made up of seven attorneys that provides services to clients across Ontario.

Brampton East

PC: Hardeep Grewal (I)

LIB: Vicky Dhillon

GR: ?

NDP: Martin Singh

In Brampton East, incumbent Hardeep Grewal is being challenged by the NDP’s Martin Singh and Liberal Vicky Dhillon. The Green Party of Ontario has yet to officially name a candidate in the riding. 

Grewal, the incumbent, served as the parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Gaming. His political journey began when he became one of the youngest riding presidents in Ontario PC history for Etobicoke North, subsequently serving as the regional director of the Ontario PC Fund. 

Singh previously ran unsuccessfully in the 2018 election for Brampton City Council in Wards 7 and 8. He holds bachelor's degrees in chemistry, pharmacy and chemical engineering, and an MBA. He also serves as a pharmacist at Precision Health Group. He has received recognition for his volunteer work with the Sierra Club of Canada, Planned Parenthood, and the 557 Lorne Scots Army Cadets, where he has mentored youths in Brampton.

Dhillon is the former two-term Brampton city councillor for Wards 9 and 10, first elected in 2006. He was heavily criticized for supporting former mayor Susan Fennell during her numerous controversies. Dhillon was a prominent figure in the city’s large Punjabi-Canadian community during his time in office. He lost his council seat in 2014 and tried unsuccessfully to win it back in 2018.

Brampton North

PC: Graham McGregor

LIB: ?

GR: ?

NDP: Ruby Zaman

In Brampton North, incumbent Graham McGregor is currently being challenged by Ruby Zaman with the NDP. The Liberals and Greens have yet to name a candidate in the riding. 

Zaman, according to the NDP website, is a truck driver who has first-hand experience with Ontario’s inadequate support systems for children with special needs. During her campaign remarks, she stated, “It’s time to elect a team that will build the Ontario we all deserve.”

McGregor was first elected for the PCs in the June 2022 election. Recently, he served as Associate Minister of Auto Theft and Bail Reform, a role focused on addressing rising crime rates and strengthening public safety measures. McGregor is campaigning on a platform that prioritizes crime reduction, economic growth, and infrastructure improvements for Brampton North.

Brampton South

PC: Prabmeet Sarkaria

LIB: ?

GR: ?

NDP: ?

PC incumbent Prabmeet Sarkaria is currently the only candidate registered in Brampton South.

Sarkaria has represented the riding since 2018 and has been the Ontario Minister of Transportation since last year. He has been the face of Doug Ford’s highway-centric transportation agenda, tasked with pushing forward the controversial Highway 413 and Bradford Bypass projects. 

Email: [email protected]

Email: [email protected]

Email: [email protected]

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