Mississauga’s mayoral race is heating up with a total of 14 registered candidates vying for the City’s top job in the 2026 municipal election.Voters will head to the polls on Oct. 26 to decide the fate of incumbent Mayor Carolyn Parrish, who was elected during a 2024 byelection after serving as a city councillor and Liberal MP for decades.The latest polling from Liaison Strategies published on Aug. 14 suggests that it is a head-to-head race between Parrish and former Mississauga mayor Bonnie Crombie.Crombie held the position for a decade but resigned in 2024 to lead the Ontario Liberal Party. She later stepped down from that position as well after failing to secure a seat in the provincial legislature during the 2025 Ontario provincial election. She’s now looking to return to her old job in what is expected to be a high-stakes race.Below is the official list of registered mayoral candidates:Carolyn ParrishParrish is the incumbent Mayor of Mississauga, a position she assumed in 2024. She previously served as city councillor and represented the riding of Mississauga-Erindale as MP. She also served as a trustee and later became the chairperson of the Peel Board of Education. Before public life, she worked as a school teacher in Etobicoke. Bonnie CrombieCrombie was the sixth mayor of Mississauga from 2014 until 2024, when she stepped down to lead the Ontario Liberal Party. She also resigned from that position after failing to secure a seat in the provincial legislature during the 2025 general election. Crombie previously served as city councillor for Ward 5 and represented the riding of Mississauga-Streetsville from 2008 until 2011.Alvin TedjoTedjo is the incumbent councillor for Ward 2, a position he assumed in 2024. Before entering politics, Tedjo worked as a communications strategist for Toronto Metropolitan University and Sheridan College.Dipika DamerlaDamerla is the incumbent councillor for Ward 7. She previously represented the riding of Mississauga-East Cooksville as MPP and served as the minister of senior affairs in former premier Kathleen Wynne’s cabinet. She previously ran in the 2024 mayoral byelection and placed third.Karam AhmedAhmed is a tow operator living and working in Mississauga. He’s campaigning to improve living standards, reduce taxes and combat crime.Aamir BhattiBhatti told CityNews he is a businessman, real estate developer and investor by profession. He holds degrees in political science and international relations from the University of the Punjab and the University of Amsterdam. Bhatti describes himself as “a common man who wants to work for the common people.” He is campaigning to help families and lower the cost of living.Gord ElliotElliot describes himself as a “dream maker” who helps “facilitate solutions” for people’s problems. He is campaigning to repeal property tax increases, bolster tenants’ rights and increase checks and balances on high-rise developments across the city.Frank FangFang is an economist and business leader. He ran as a candidate in multiple municipal and federal elections over the past two decades, and has made waves for his viral social media videos.Amjad JilaniJilani is a digital marketing strategist and long-time Mississauga resident. He is campaigning to prioritize the repair of existing roads, freeze city property taxes, and keep community sports facilities open until 2 a.m. for youths.Mike MatulewiczMatulewicz is a retired police sergeant who spent 34 years with the Toronto Police Service. He is also a 40-year resident of Mississauga and is campaigning to make the city safe, healthier and more affordable.Fadi NaamiNaami is a sales representative for Remax Realty. He is campaigning for safer communities, clean neighbourhoods and economic growth.David ShawShaw tells CityNews he’s resided in Cooksville since 1966. He retired from the fire protection service industry in 2021 after 38 years.No public information was available for candidates Mohsin Khan and Ana Luisa Vasquez De Espinal. Requests for comment went unanswered.