Mayor Bonnie Crombie responds to buzz on leaving Mississauga for Liberal leadership run

Will Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie leave her post to run for leader of the provincial Liberals?

Several media outlets are asking Mississauga’s mayor if she would consider running for the Liberal Party after news broke she will be at the Liberals’ convention this weekend in Hamilton. Around 1,500 delegates are expected.

A number of Liberal Party members would like to see her run as a candidate as some see her as an “outspoken critic of the Ford government,” according to a story in the Toronto Star.

Crombie topped a poll of who Ontario voters would prefer to see lead the Ontario Liberal Party.

But Crombie told the Globe and Mail she is going to AGM to build awareness for municipal issues.

And she addressed more questions on a potential leadership bid at a press conference on housing today (March 1).

“I have a lot on my plate right here in Mississauga. I love my city. I love my job as mayor,” Crombie said. “So much is happening in Mississauga. And I’m entirely focused on our issues and our growth right here in our city.”

Asked a second time, Crombie didn’t totally rule out the possibility but once again said she is focused on Mississauga.

“I’m focused on my priorities here,” she said. “And I’m very flattered at the attention that my name has been getting in the political circles.”