Independent Candidate Enters University—Rosedale By-Election With Ambitious Platform, Steep Climb
An independent candidate who received just 118 votes in the 2025 federal election is hoping for a dramatic reversal of fortune in the upcoming University—Rosedale by-election, positioning himself as a potential kingmaker in a minority Parliament.
Adam Golding, a computer scientist and self-described democratic socialist, officially confirmed his candidacy this week. In an exclusive conversation with The Provincial Times outlining his platform, Golding argued that with the Liberals two seats short of a majority, an independent MP could hold significant sway.
“The Liberals have a minority government at 170 seats, they will need 2 votes to pass anything: Me and Elizabeth May,” Golding said. “Together, we will hold the balance of power with University-Rosedale calling the shots.”
However, Golding's path to Parliament faces a significant hurdle. According to official results from Elections Canada, Golding finished dead last in the 2025 general election in the same riding, securing just 118 votes—or 0.2 per cent of ballots cast. Liberal candidate and incumbent MP Chrystia Freeland won the seat with 64 per cent of the vote, a margin of nearly 40,000 votes over her closest competitor.
A Crowded Field
The University—Rosedale by-election was triggered in January when Freeland stepped down to take on a role advising Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Prime Minister Mark Carney has until July to call the vote, though observers expect it to happen sooner rather than later.
Golding now enters a race that already features a high-profile Liberal contender. Dr. Danielle Martin, a family physician and chair of the University of Toronto's department of family and community medicine, was officially named the Liberal candidate on Jan. 31.
Martin gained national attention in 2014 for defending Canada's health-care system before a U.S. Senate committee. The Liberal Party has positioned her as a star candidate ready to work with “Mark Carney and the Liberal team to build a stronger economy.”
The Conservative Party and NDP have not yet announced their candidates.
Golding's Platform And Political Evolution
Golding brings a lengthy activist resume to the campaign. He cites two terms as student president in cognitive science at the University of Toronto, working on campaigns for former federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh and former Ontario NDP leader Andrea Horwath, and co-founding the Toronto Coalition for Housing (TORCH). He has run for office three times previously, including a 2023 bid against Freeland under the banner “#CeaseFalseFreeland.”
His 2026 platform, summarized in campaign materials, includes six core pledges:
- Voting Reform
- Lockdown Limits
- End the News Ban
- Federal Job Guarantee
- Your Money, Your Choice
- Your Body, Your Choice
“Voting Reform is the #1 priority,” Golding said. “Due to Duverger's law, we otherwise face an inexorable slide into the polarized and therefore culturally corrosive two-party system of our southern neighbour.”
Golding describes himself as running to the left of the NDP, citing frustrations with the party's positions and an unanswered application to become its Provincial Director. He is running as an independent, he said, because he has “found working with the NDP to be untenable.”
The Liberal Stronghold
University—Rosedale has been a Liberal stronghold since its creation in 2015. Freeland won the riding four consecutive times, often by overwhelming margins. The riding encompasses the University of Toronto's St. George campus, along with the affluent neighbourhoods of Rosedale, The Annex, and Yorkville.
For an independent candidate like Golding to win, he would need to overcome not only the riding's Liberal history, but also the significant infrastructure and fundraising machine of a major party. Martin, a well-known public figure with deep roots in the community, is widely expected to hold the seat for the Liberals.
For his part, Golding remains undeterred, framing his campaign as a continuation of his long-standing critique of the political establishment.
“I think independently as a Computer Scientist who is putting off returning for his Philosophy & Law PhD, and want to apply my AI degree to fixing the bugs in our nation's code: The Canadian Legal System,” he said.
The date of the University—Rosedale by-election has yet to be announced. Under the Canada Elections Act, the writ must be issued between Jan. 20 and July 8, with the earliest possible voting date set for March 2.
