OTTAWA — Mike Layton, the former Toronto city councillor and son of late NDP leader Jack Layton, will not run for the federal New Democrats in this summer’s Beaches—East York byelection, ending days of speculation that had spooked some Liberals.
The New Democrats announced Thursday that labour activist Shannon Devine, the party’s candidate in the last federal election, has been appointed to run again in the Aug. 31 byelection.
Layton, meanwhile, broke his silence after the Star reported he was considering a candidacy, saying it was not the right time for him to return to politics. He did not close the door on a future run.
“Over the past couple of weeks, so many of you have encouraged me to put my name forward in Beaches—East York. It has meant more to me than I can say — and it’s reminded me how hungry people are for leaders who will fight for climate action, for affordability, and for communities that work for everyone,” he said in a written statement.
“After careful reflection with my family, I’ve decided this isn’t the moment for me to return to politics. My family and my work on sustainability and climate remain my focus right now.”
Layton had been in talks with top NDP officials about running in Beaches—East York, where Premier Doug Ford’s Billy Bishop airport expansion proposal to Prime Minister Mark Carney had been expected to be a thorny political issue.
But following a survey that showed overwhelming opposition in Toronto, the Carney government said it would not sign off on the airport expansion — for now — just two days before calling the byelection.
Although the riding has long been a Liberal stronghold, some in the party were still worried about competing in Beaches—East York against Layton, who was seen as potentially a top candidate before deciding not to run in the 2023 Toronto mayoral race.
Tanveer Shahnawaz, a longtime aide to former MP Nate Erskine-Smith, is running for the Liberals. Jim Syrbos, the co-founder of East Toronto Coffee Co., was named as the Conservative party’s candidate earlier this week.
Devine was most recently executive director of the Toronto and York Region Labour Council, according to her LinkedIn page. A longtime union activist and organizer, she has held senior roles with Unifor, the Ontario Federation of Labour and the United Steelworkers.
She received 6.9 per cent of the vote in the 2025 election, as New Democrats suffered historic losses across the country and Erskine-Smith cruised to a fourth election victory.
The byelection was triggered by the resignation of Erskine-Smith, who had held the riding since 2015. He is now considering a city council run after a failed effort to mount an Ontario Liberal leadership campaign.
Two other federal byelection campaigns are also ongoing: in the Quebec riding of Chicoutimi-Le Fjord, which was held by the Conservatives, and in B.C.‘s North Vancouver-Capilano, which was held by the Liberals.
Update – July 31, 2026
This article was updated from a previous version to note that Shannon Devine is no longer the executive director of the Toronto and York Region Labour Council according to an update to her LinkedIn page on July 31.
