Carolyn Parrish will be Mississauga mayor, CBC News projects ...

Carolyn Parrish has been elected Mississauga's next mayor, CBC News projects. 

The former city councillor and federal member of Parliament consistently led in opinion polls conducted during the mayoral byelection campaign. 

A large crowd of supporters at the Mississauga Convention Centre cheered Monday as Parrish was projected to win.

"Today we celebrate not just a victory at the polls but a victory for the future of our city," Parrish told the supporters. 

"This victory is your victory."

Parrish, who has been in politics for 35 years, has vowed to help those struggling with the increasing cost of living by constraining the city budget — although she didn't set hard targets or release a costed platform. 

Tedjo said he messaged Parrish to congratulate her on her win, and to wish her well in her new role.

"She is now the leader of all of us and it is in our interest to work together to make sure that we have the best city," he said.

WATCH | Tedjo gives his concession speech to supporters:

In a concession speech to supporters Monday night after Mississauga residents voted for a new mayor, second-place-finisher Alvin Tedjo said he has "so much hope and ambition" for the city.

With 99.5 per cent of election polls reporting, Parrish had 43,370 votes, while Alvin Tedjo was in second place with 34,839 votes. Dipika Damerla was in third place with 27,053 votes and Stephen Dasko was in fourth with 22,340 votes.

"I want to thank the citizens of Mississauga for placing their trust in me," Parrish said. "Your voices have been heard and together we will build a brighter, more inclusive future for our city."

Twenty candidates were in the running for the city's top job, which was triggered when former mayor Bonnie Crombie resigned in January to run for the leadership of the Ontario Liberal Party.

Parrish will become only the third politician to hold the post since 1978, after Crombie and long-serving former mayor Hazel McCallion.

To run for mayor, Parrish resigned as councillor for Ward 5, whose residents are also electing a candidate to fill her seat on Monday.

Here are the live results of the mayoral byelection:

Following Parrish's win, Ontario Premier Doug Ford congratulated the mayor-elect on her victory.

"I'm looking forward to working with you as we build a stronger Mississauga and a stronger Ontario," Ford said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

Some 117 polling stations across the city opened at 10 a.m. and closed at 8 p.m. 

Roughly 24,000 voters cast their ballots in advance voting, which took place on May 24-25 and June 1-2, the City of Mississauga says.

Just over 21 per cent of eligible voters cast a ballot in the city's last municipal election in 2022, down from 27 per cent in the 2018 election.

Voters indicated housing and affordability concerns were among the top issues at stake during a time of expansion that has seen Mississauga grow into the third-largest city in Ontario and the seventh-largest in Canada.

What is Parrish promising to do as mayor?

On taxes: Parrish's campaign didn't release a fully-costed platform, but she has promised to constrain the city's budget in order to hold property tax rates "close to the rate of inflation."

On housing: Parrish said she'll use a "wide range of solutions" to address the housing affordability crisis, including supporting "gentle infill" and pushing the owners of aging malls to convert them into residential sites — something mall owners across North America have been doing in recent years.

On livability: Expect Parrish to also try to line up more public-private partnerships, which she said could lead to more community centres for youth and an expansion of the city's arts programs.

On public safety: Parrish has also said she's closely monitoring the ratio between police officers and residents as crime becomes a "growing concern" in Mississauga. Policing in the city is run through the region, so it's unclear how many tax dollars Parrish would be willing to spend on increasing Peel Regional Police's ranks. 

On transit: Parrish didn't present a transit expansion map during her campaign, unlike her top rivals. Instead, she said an east-west connector to the Hurontario LRT, which is set to open in September, will be "essential," as is all-day two-way GO Train service on the Milton line. "Funding from senior levels of government will be a priority," she said. 

Natalie Hart wins Ward 5 council spot, CBC News projects

Natalie Hart, who scored a key endorsement from Crombie, will be the next councillor for Ward 5, CBC News projects.

Hart faced a stiff challenge from Danny Singh.

There were 15 candidates in the race to represent the ward, which includes the Malton community and also houses Toronto Pearson International Airport. 

Past Ward 5 councillors have gone on to hold other political roles, including Crombie and her predecessor Eve Adams, who went on to become an MP.