Former Liberal MP looks to move past years of scrutiny with city council run in Scarborough
A former Liberal MP submitted nomination papers at Toronto City Hall on Wednesday morning to run for city council in Ward 23, Scarborough North. The municipal election is set for October 26.
Han Dong represented Don Valley North in Ottawa from 2019 until 2025. He left the Liberal caucus in 2023 to sit as an independent after Global News published stories alleging he had urged a Chinese diplomat to delay the release of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor. He denied the claim.
The Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference later found classified intelligence that backed his account. In June 2025, Dong settled a defamation lawsuit against Global News and parent company Corus Entertainment. A Superior Court judge had noted that a reporter's notes contained no evidence he pushed for any delay.
On Wednesday Dong did not release a detailed platform, saying one is still in development. He spoke instead about what he is hearing on the ground: cost-of-living pressures, transit gaps, and everyday safety concerns. He plans to spend the summer knocking on doors across Scarborough North rather than making big promises upfront.
“I've fought for Ontario families at Queen's Park and for Canadians in Ottawa,” he said. “Now I want to bring that same fight to Toronto City Hall — for a Scarborough North that works for everyone.”
Dong served one term as an Ontario MPP for Trinity—Spadina from 2014 to 2018. He is pitching himself as someone who knows how to work with the other two orders of government rather than simply complaining about them. Incumbent Councillor Jamaal Myers has already registered to run again with other candidates expected to enter the race.
Dong's name remains familiar to many voters in the broader area from his time as MPP and MP. Whether that recognition and his cross-government experience resonates with Scarborough North residents dealing with higher taxes and uneven services is the open question heading into the fall.
For now, the campaign is starting at the doors.
