Local journalist Natalie Johnson announced her candidacy for Toronto City Council on Monday morning, formally stepping into the race for the Beaches–East York seat after nearly two decades covering municipal politics.
Johnson, a longtime CTV News reporter who has spent 19 years in the newsroom and has covered Toronto City Hall since 2010, made the announcement at the Toronto City Hall Elections Office at 10:30 a.m.
A resident of Beaches–East York and mother of three, Johnson’s reporting career has focused heavily on municipal issues. In the riding, other registered candidates are James Dann, Tycen Legg, and Adam Smith.
“I really care about our community at Beaches-East York,” Johnson told CityNews’ Alan Carter on Monday. “I’ve been a voice at Toronto’s City Hall over the last 16 years, covering a lot of the files that have shaped this city. I think it’s time to take that understanding of the issues and apply it to the challenges of the ward.”
Among her concerns, should she be elected in the ward, Johnson highlighted that the removal of the Gardiner Expressway ramp a few years back “really debilitated the flow of traffic” in Beaches-East York.
“It’s a lot harder to access the rest of the city than ever before,” noted Johnson. “… I think there’s the physical connection side of things, and I also think it is a very highly engaged ward and constituents want to feel connected to city hall and feel like they have a seat at the table.”
Beaches–East York councillor Brad Bradford, who is currently representing the ward, has already declared his intention to run for mayor. Bradford has been the councillor in the riding since 2018, most recently defeating Jennie Worden in 2022 by receiving 54.7 per cent of the vote.
“This brings a new opportunity for a fresh voice to city hall,” Johnson said when asked about Bradford’s time as a councillor. “I bring an outside perspective to city hall without having been part of the machine that has gotten us to the place we are today.”