Digital Advertising in Ontario Municipal Elections: Big Budgets, Big Upsets in 2026
Digital Advertising in Ontario Municipal Elections played a major role in 2026. Olivia Chow spent more than $130,000 on Facebook and Instagram ads. Alvin Tedjo outspent his three main rivals combined. And in Hamilton, an incumbent mayor spent less than $500 while two challengers poured tens of thousands into digital advertising. Welcome to Ontario’s 2026 municipal elections, where some of the most interesting political battles weren’t just happening at candidates’ doors, in debates or on campaign signs. They were unfolding on voters’ phones. The October 26 elections delivered no shortage of political drama. Olivia Chow won another term in Toronto. Alvin Tedjo pulled off a major victory in Mississauga. Keanin Loomis defeated incumbent Andrea Horwath in Hamilton. And from Milton to Kingston, several long-serving mayors were shown the door. But behind those results was another story worth examining: how candidates were using digital advertising to introduce themselves, challenge their opponents, promote their ideas and compete for voters’ attention. At EOK Consults, we’ve spent months tracking municipal campaign advertising across Ontario, examining not just how much candidates spent on Facebook and Instagram, but how they spent it. And the findings offer a fascinating look at how municipal campaigning is changing. The numbers offer a closer look at Digital Advertising in Ontario Municipal Elections and how candidates used paid social media to reach voters. Digital Advertising in Ontario Municipal Elections: Toronto For much of the summer, Brad Bradford appeared to have the digital advertising battlefield largely to himself. The challenger spent heavily on Facebook and Instagram, promoting his plans for Toronto while arguing the city needed a different direction. Then Olivia Chow entered the picture. And she didn’t exactly ease into it. Starting in mid-September, Chow’s campaign dramatically accelerated its advertising, eventually spending $132,700 on Meta ads, compared with Bradford’s $97,700 over the final three months of the election. That is a remarkable reversal, given that Bradford had been advertising heavily for weeks before Chow began her major push. But the spending totals only tell part of the story. Chow’s campaign launched more than 250 ad sets, including endorsements from prominent political figures, geographically relevant messaging and a substantial volume of attack advertising questioning Bradford’s proposals and credibility. Her campaign also appeared particularly interested in reaching women and highly educated voters. Approximately 20% of its advertising budget went toward women-only ads, compared with just 6% toward men-only ads. Bradford, meanwhile, ran more than 220 ad sets focused largely on his policy proposals, affordability, public safety and criticism of Chow’s record. The contrast was interesting. Bradford wanted voters to judge Chow’s three years in office. Chow wanted voters to scrutinize Bradford’s plans for the next four. Both campaigns understood that digital advertising offered a way to make those arguments repeatedly, directly and at scale. Chow ultimately won re-election by a decisive margin. Did spending more on Facebook and Instagram win her the election? Of course, it’s not that simple. But her late advertising surge demonstrated how quickly a campaign can change the digital conversation when it combines substantial resources with a clear communications strategy. Digital Advertising in Ontario Municipal Elections: Mississauga If Toronto demonstrated the power of a late advertising surge, Mississauga offered a different lesson. Sometimes, a campaign can use digital advertising to make a large city feel a little smaller. Alvin Tedjo’s campaign spent approximately $117,800 on Facebook and Instagram advertising, more than Bonnie Crombie ($67,300),Dipika Damerla(28,600) and incumbent Carolyn Parrish ($14,200) combined. Yes, combined. But what stood out wasn’t simply the spending. It was how Tedjo’s campaign approached the city. Alongside broad advertising, policy videos, endorsements and event promotions, the campaign developed neighbourhood-specific messages addressing places like Clarkson and Malton. Instead of speaking only about Mississauga as a whole, some advertisements spoke directly to residents about their own communities. The campaign also promoted proposals on policing, property taxes and seniors’ priorities, while highlighting endorsements from organizations and public figures. The other leading candidates had their own approaches. Crombie leaned on her established public profile, policy messaging and endorsements, including from former Toronto mayor John Tory. Damerla invested heavily in video content explaining her ideas, while also using voter surveys and more detailed audience targeting. Parrish, despite being the incumbent, spent comparatively little on Meta advertising, relying largely on graphics highlighting her administration’s achievements and priorities. Tedjo ultimately won the mayoralty in one of Ontario’s most closely watched municipal contests. His campaign is an interesting example of how digital advertising can combine the broad reach needed in a citywide election with messages that feel relevant to individual neighbourhoods. Digital Advertising in Hamilton: A Different Kind of Campaign Battle Perhaps the most surprising advertising figures came from Hamilton. Incumbent mayor Andrea Horwath spent just $459 on Meta advertising during the period examined. Not $459,000. Just $459. Her challengers took a very different approach. Rob Cooper spent approximately $19,600, while Keanin Loomis invested another $16,200. Together, the two challengers spent nearly $36,000 on Facebook and Instagram advertising. Loomis’s campaign was particularly active, running approximately 110 ad sets that included policy videos, neighbourhood-specific messaging, culturally relevant advertising and voter-engagement initiatives. Cooper also invested significantly in video advertising, launching more than 100 ad sets. On election night, Loomis won the mayoralty, Cooper finished second, and Horwath placed third. That doesn’t mean Horwath lost because she spent so little on Facebook and Instagram. Elections are far more complicated than that. But the contrast raises an interesting question about the importance of maintaining a visible digital presence, particularly when challengers are investing heavily in communicating their alternatives. And Hamilton wasn’t the only municipality where a challenger made a significant digital investment. Beyond the Big Cities: Smaller Budgets, Big Political Changes Some of the most interesting digital advertising stories came from municipalities where candidates weren’t spending six figures. In Kingston, Conny Glenn spent approximately $12,100 on Meta advertising, compared with incumbent Bryan Paterson’s $3,800. Glenn went on to win the mayoralty. In Clarington, Tom Dingwall spent approximately $6,700, while four-term incumbent Adrian Foster spent just $401. Dingwall
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