allthecanadianpolitics:

The election for mayor of Toronto is just two weeks away, and media coverage of the race’s top contenders is ramping up.

As the debates rage on, two out of 35 candidates vying for a spot at the helm of the city have all but monopolized the press: incumbent mayor John Tory, naturally, and his supposed main opponent, former City of Toronto chief Planner Jennifer Keesmaat.

Since Keesmaat’s entry into the race against her former boss, the Johnny vs. Jenny rivalry has been the major through-line of the election so far. One could almost be led to believe the whole thing is a two-horse race.

But just beyond the limelight, another candidate is slowly gaining traction ​​​with a bold platform and, arguably, some of the best debate performances so far.

Saron Gebresellassi, a 31-year-old lawyer, has been making some impressive jabs at Tory and Keesmaat, giving both longtime political heavyweights a run for their money at the debate hosted by Global News.

Aside from being the youngest candidate by at least a decade or two to participate in the televised debates, the Eritrean-Canadian activist-turned-lawyer is the only woman of colour in the core group of candidates.

As a young lawyer, the Ryerson grad has taken on some very high-profile civil rights cases representing women, including suing Starbucks for $1 million, and fighting a maternity-leave dismissal.

Having moved to Toronto from Eritrea in 1989 and grown up in York Square community housing by Jane and Lawrence, Gebresellassi’s platform is taking a heavy stance on policing and affordable housing.

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This might be the most exciting new candidate for Toronto mayor