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“It’s real — there’s a growing chorus of voices who are asking him to run,” said one insider, speaking confidentially in order to discuss internal deliberations.Ìý

“The interesting thing is it is a multi-partisan approach from Liberals and Conservatives who would like to see an alternative to Olivia Chow, said the source familiar with Mendicino’s thinking.ÌýÌý

One insider, speaking confidentially to discuss internal deliberations, insisted it might be difficult for a sitting councillor to defeat Chow in a head-to-head contest.

“It has to be someone from outside, which is where Marco comes in,” said the second source.Ìý

A third source told the Star Friday that Mendicino sees a potential opening on the “centre right” of the spectrum that he could fill in the next mayoral contest.Ìý

Some Progressive Conservatives with ties to Queen’s Park have also been quietly shaking the trees for Mendicino, noting the former Eglinton-Lawrence Liberal MP is well-regarded in Toronto’s Jewish community.

Last year, Chow apologized for missing the Oct. 7 vigil at Mel Lastman Square for victims of the 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas.

“I should have been there. There’s no excuse,” the mayor said at the time after her absence upset some Torontonians.

Backers ofÌýCoun. Brad Bradford (Ward 19, Beaches—East York), who finished eighth in the June 2023 mayoral byelection won by Chow, say he is interested in making another run for the top job.

Also in the mix is former deputy mayorÌýAna Bailão, the runner-up two years ago.

With the Oct. 26, 2026 vote still 17 months away, the elephant in the room remains former mayor John Tory.

Sources at Queen’s Park say Tory — who resigned from office in February 2023 after the Star reported he had an affair with an aide that he called a “serious error of judgment”Ìý— is being encouraged to make a comeback.

He has retained a high profile in the city with frequent appearances as a host and commentator on Newstalk 1010 and CTV News Channel.

Friends have confided that ToryÌý— who defeated Chow and now Premier Doug Ford in the 2014 mayoral raceÌý— is pointedly not shutting down any speculation he may jump back into city politics.

Mendicino’s potential mayoral run, first reported by CTV News, also comes as questions swirl around Parliament Hill about who Carney will find to serve as chief of staff in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), one of the most important and influential roles inside the federal government.Ìý

Carney announced Thursday evening that he asked MendicinoÌý— whom he described as his “initial” top officialÌý— to stay in the role “into the summer” as he sets up his new administration after voters elected another Liberal minority government on April 28.ÌýÌý

Carney said he asked Mendicino to take the job for the “intense period” after he won the Liberal leadership in March and succeeded Justin Trudeau as prime minister. Carney then plunged into a national campaign, won the election, and has spent the weeks since naming a new cabinet and setting up his government before Parliament resumes with King Charles III delivering the throne speech on Tuesday morning.Ìý

“As we prepare for the throne speech, I have asked Mr. Mendicino to stay into the summer in order to support the launch of the government’s mandate in Parliament and to lead the transition of the PMO on my behalf. I am grateful that he has agreed to do so,” Carney on social media.

“I wish to thank Mr. Mendicino for his tireless work, commitment and dedicated service to all Canadians.”

In recent weeks, there has been a lot of speculation and discussion in Liberal circles about who will replace Mendicino in the powerful role as Carney’s chief of staff. Several names have circulated as potential replacements, while the Star has confirmed that former Trudeau adviser Mathieu Bouchard has had conversations about the job.Ìý

The Star also confirmed that David Lametti, another former Trudeau cabinet minister and long-time friend of Carney’s, will not join the PMO as chief of staff. And Marc-André Blanchard, a former Canadian ambassador to the United Nations, denied a report Friday that he was approached for job.Ìý

Meanwhile, several government sources have said in recent days that many staffing decisions inside the PMO are still unclear while insiders wait to see who takes over from Mendicino for the top job in Carney’s office.Ìý

First elected in 2015 as an MP in the north º£½ÇÉçÇø¹ÙÍøriding of Eglinton—Lawrence, Mendicino is a former Crown prosecutor who joined Trudeau’s cabinet as immigration minister in 2019. He was shuffled to the public safety portfolio in 2021. Months later, in early 2022, he played a key role in the government’s response to the “Freedom Convoy” protests, which he portrayed as a serious threat that justified Ottawa’s use of the Emergencies Act.Ìý

After he was demoted from cabinet in 2023, Mendicino became a critic of the Trudeau government’s approach to Israel and the war in Gaza, frequently denouncing antisemitism and defending Canada’s Jewish community.Ìý

He announced in January that he would not seek re-election federally, before signing on as Carney’s chief of staff when the former central banker won the Liberal leadership in March.Ìý