Bonnie Crombie, who led Mississauga as mayor for nearly a decade, resigned as leader of the Ontario Liberal Party on Wednesday, Jan. 14. The party said the resignation was effective immediately.

In a statement, Crombie said she made the decision after careful reflection and that the start of a new year was the right moment for her and for the party to move forward. She said stepping down formally would allow the party to appoint an interim leader.

I am looking forward to spending more time with my family, including welcoming my first grandchild, while giving the party the space it needs to move forward with new leadership.

— Bonnie Crombie

From city hall to Queen's Park

Crombie succeeded Hazel McCallion as Mississauga's mayor in 2014 and won re-election twice before winning the provincial Liberal leadership in 2023.

She led the party into last winter's provincial election. The Liberals slightly increased their seat count but finished third behind the Progressive Conservatives and the NDP, and Crombie did not win a seat. After receiving 57 per cent support in a leadership vote at the party's annual general meeting in September, she said she would step down. The party had not announced a timeline for a leadership contest by this week.

MPP John Fraser has led the Liberals in the legislature since then. Party president Kathryn McGarry thanked Crombie and said the party's executive council has been working out the details of a leadership race and plans to announce a date soon.

A possible return to local politics

Crombie's statement did not say whether she plans to seek office again. Last October, she told Global News she would not rule out running for mayor of Mississauga in the Oct. 26, 2026, municipal election.

A Liaison Strategies poll of 800 Mississauga voters, conducted Oct. 22 and 23, suggested Crombie would narrowly lead Mayor Carolyn Parrish, 38 per cent to 34 per cent, if a mayoral vote were held then.

Parrish, who won the June 2024 byelection to succeed Crombie, says she plans to run for re-election one more time. When asked last fall about a possible contest with her predecessor, she told INsauga.com she would welcome it.

I would look forward to a debate with Bonnie Crombie.

— Carolyn Parrish, Mayor of Mississauga, to INsauga.com

Until Crombie says more, a rematch at Mississauga city hall remains speculation.