Geddy Lee, bassist/keyboardist/lead vocalist for the veteran Canadian progressive hard rock power trio Rush, has moved away from his usual public avoidance of political matters to make an endorsement in the upcoming Toronto mayoral election on Monday, October 26, 2026. Lee has come out in favor of Toronto City Councilor Brad Bradford, who, among others, is running against current mayor Olivia Chow.
I was born in Toronto and have built a life with my family here. It was always a place I’ve been proud to call home. But it’s changing, and not for the better. I’m not one to make public statements about politicians, but I truly fear for the future of Toronto with its current leadership, and believe that Brad has energy, fresh ideas and really cares about ALL of this city’s communities.
Lee has expanded on his endorsement in a statement on Bradford’s website.
“I’m a kid from Willowdale. I’ve spent 50 years travelling the world and every time I returned home, I felt the same thing: relief. Toronto was the city that worked. As I look around now, it’s not the same. Something has gone wrong, and it isn’t the people. It’s the leadership. My parents came here with nothing, after surviving the worst the world could do to them, and this city gave them the one thing they wanted most: a safe place to raise their kids. That was the promise of Toronto. I believe Brad Bradford gets that. I’ve never been a political guy, but it’s time to speak up about the city I love. I believe that Brad has energy, fresh ideas and truly cares about ALL of this city’s communities. On October 26th I’m voting for him.”
In terms of proposals, there are no striking differences between Bradford and Chow. Bradford’s main campaign points are increasing the housing supply by reducing government red tape and related costs, increasing police presence, and focusing on providing more consistent public services, such as reliable public transit and safe public parks. Chow’s positions include increasing public transportation while freezing fares at their current level, expanding city-run mental health support services, and promoting energy efficiency. Bradford’s platform is more meat-and-potatoes, but neither is the stuff of which conservative dreams are made.
The elephant in the room, or given that it’s Canada, perhaps the bull moose in the room, is the rise in active antisemitic acts in Toronto during Chow’s present term. At a meeting on September 19, 2026, at a Toronto synagogue, Bradford pledged to actively combat the rise in antisemitic attacks. According to numbers from Toronto police, in 2025, 82 percent of the 99 reported religious-based hate crimes were against Jews. Bradford and another mayoral candidate who attended the meeting sharply criticized Chow for not attending. It warrants mention that Chow has a record of struggling with addressing antisemitic acts; in 2025 she hemmed and hawed over a proposal to create “bubble zones” around Jewish houses of worship and enterprises to protect their users from protests before finally agreeing to support the initiative. Chow has also labeled the Israel-Palestine war following the October 7, 2023 Palestinian attack against Israel, in which 1,200 Israelis were killed and inhumanely brutalized, a “genocide” against Palestinians.
As a Jew whose parents each survived internment in concentration camps during World War Two even as his grandfather died at Treblinka, it is no surprise Lee has a personal interest in this election. While with good reason the immediate reaction to 99.44 percent of all entertainers speaking out on political matters is “please don’t,” Geddy Lee adding his voice to the Toronto mayoral election is most welcome.
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