A few months after a bid to join the Ontario Liberal Party in a Scarborough byelection fell short, former federal Beaches-East York MP Nate Erskine-Smith is set to represent his old riding at Toronto city hall.
Erskine-Smith told City News he plans to submit his nomination papers Wednesday morning, just ahead of Friday’s deadline for municipal council candidates in Toronto and across Ontario to secure a spot on the ballot for the Oct. 26 election.
His journey towards this council run has been anything but typical.
The 42-year-old ex-lawyer first made it to the House of Commons in 2015 with nearly half of the votes, defeating former NDP MP Matthew Kellway, who received just under 31 percent. Erskine-Smith won reelection in 2019, 2021, and again in 2025 with significant vote shares.
In late 2024, former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appointed him as housing, infrastructure and communities minister. When Prime Minister Mark Carney took over in March 2025, he retained Erskine-Smith in that position until just after that year’s election when he was removed from cabinet entirely.
During his time on Parliament Hill, Erskine-Smith mainly contributed as a backbench MP on various committees and groups. He even started a podcast during COVID-19 that ran for several years featuring different guests.
In an attempt to lead the Ontario Liberal Party in 2023, Erskine-Smith came up short against Bonnie Crombie on a third-round ballot, receiving 46.6 percent while Crombie got 53.4 percent.
<p Earlier in 2026, he considered running for Ontario Liberal Party leadership once more and tried to get nominated as a candidate for the upcoming Scarborough Southwest byelection but lost by just 19 votes. His appeal citing irregularities was rejected by a panel.
Meanwhile, Ward 19 Beaches-East York is one of two areas in Toronto without an incumbent running this year. It was represented by Brad Bradford since 2018; however, he chose to run for mayor instead.
This ward is generally defined by its boundaries along Coxwell Avenue, Lake Ontario, Victoria Park Avenue, and Sunrise Avenue (south of Eglinton Avenue East).
As of now there are ten candidates competing to be the next councillor. Among them are former broadcast journalist Natalie Johnson, arts and community advocate Jennie Worden and ex-bureaucrat James Dann.
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