Far-right candidate Anthony Furey is defeated in Don Valley West by-election
Together we defeated far-right candidate Anthony Furey in the Don Valley West by-election held on November 4 2024! Conservatives thought they could elect Furey on his name recognition alone and keep his harmful record secret, but we didn’t let that happen.
We crunched the numbers: before we launched our campaign to stop Furey, polls showed he was ahead by over 10%. On election night, Furey lost by over 23% to former local TDSB Trustee Rachel Chernos Lin. Our collective work helped shape this election.
Here are some highlights from our campaign made possible by our supporters and volunteers:
22,000+ households reached by flyers
483 hours volunteered
109,000+ people reached in Don Valley West through digital ads
38 outreach events in every corner of the ward
$8,700 fundraising goal met thanks to generous donors
Our flyers were all printed in-house, and folded and distributed by our dedicated volunteers. That’s how we were able to stretch every dollar—despite a small budget we reached tens of thousands of voters.
We won, and now conservatives are organizing
Conservatives are taking to the radio and media, crediting us with Furey’s defeat. Brian Lilley from the Toronto Sun even wrote, “there will be an alternative to Progress Toronto coming,” hinting at plans for a conservative group to push their agenda at City Hall by the next election. [1]
What would a conservative alternative to Progress Toronto mean for our city? Likely, campaigns against affordable housing, transit, and essential services, and more support for right-wing candidates like Furey.
Alongside you, we are challenging conservative power, and they are getting ready to strike back. That’s why after this election we are focused on scaling up to prepare for a big fight.
They are angry that we disrupted their plans to put a conservative onto council once again. The right is threatened by what we accomplish together and is organizing to fight against all we have won.
Conservatives have deep pockets but our work is powered by hundreds of volunteers and donations from thousands of people averaging $23. Our success comes from people across our city fighting for a City Council that works for all of us, not wealthy insiders.
While south of the border we saw Donald Trump win the presidency, last week’s local win showed how communities can come together to keep the far-right out of power, now and in the future.
Our team was reminded of the importance of long-term organizing to prevent conservatives from building power. Furey’s loss last week means he will be in a weaker position to run for mayor or another Council seat again. The work we do together not only ensures that conservatives have big setbacks, but ensures that we can protect and build on important investments in affordable housing, transit, and more.
That’s why they are looking to create an organization to go up against our work, and that’s why we have to prepare for a big fight.
While a conservative group will likely be funded by powerful conservative donors, Progress Toronto is effective thanks to people like you. We rely on monthly donations averaging $11 to sustain our work and one-time donations from thousands of people.
Our team is already turning our attention to what’s next: like winning an ambitious city budget that invests in our city, training hundreds more volunteers, and campaigning on issues that matter most to people across Toronto.
Stay tuned as we look at the changing political landscape and gear up to push back against conservative interests. Thank you for your commitment to our city - together we are changing Toronto into a place where we all can live and thrive.
Thank you for organizing with us. Thank you for signing petitions, speaking out to advocate for change, for donating, and for volunteering your time.
Thank you for your commitment to our city,
Saman Tabasinejad
Executive Director
Progress Toronto
[1] "LILLEY: Time to look at Progress Toronto and its influence" Lilley, Toronto Sun November 2024 https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/time-to-look-at-progress-toronto-and-its-influence