With Toronto’s mayoral race now a statistical tie, Olivia Chow has picked up an endorsement Sheila Gunn Reid calls “a kiss of death”: former Ontario premier Kathleen Wynne.

On Tuesday’s Rebel Roundup, Sheila and Lise Merle reacted to a new Nanos Research poll for CP24 and CTV News Toronto showing Chow at 49.8 per cent and challenger Brad Bradford at 46.6 per cent among decided voters, inside the survey’s 3.6-point margin of error. Bradford trailed by nearly 10 points two weeks ago, before Chris Alexander suspended his campaign.

“Is Toronto going to get a common sense mayor?” Lise asked.

Sheila said she would settle for a serious one. “What I wouldn’t give for a serious person to be running this whole thing,” she said, adding that whatever else happens, Toronto will never see Bradford “dress like some sort of meth’d-out peacock at a festival” or walk a mile in stilettos at a YWCA event.

“Business casual, business attire only,” said a relieved Lise.

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Then came the Wynne news. “Surprising nobody,” added Sheila. “But I feel like that’s a kiss of death.”

“All you need to know is that one of the worst premiers Ontario has ever had has endorsed one of the worst mayors Ontario has ever had,” Lise said. Sheila noted “all the problems with the education system” in Ontario — “those are Kathleen Wynne.”

The hosts played Wynne’s endorsement video, in which she says she has watched Chow “and your value system for 35 years,” recalls moderating a 1991 debate featuring Chow’s late husband Jack Layton, and frames the election around feeding hungry children.

“Why do you think that childhood hunger is a thing, you guys? It’s because of your piss-poor decisions over all of these years,” Lise said, pointing to Tamara Ugolini’s reporting on Ontario schools. “This is what 35 years of gross leftist activism in education gets you.”

She also took issue with Wynne invoking Layton, suggesting the former premier “conjures the name of Jack Layton and just drags him out like Weekend at Bernie’s” in the ad.

“If you are wondering why Ontario is so vulnerable to tariffs, you look no further than Kathleen Wynne’s green energy policies,” Sheila added. “That’s exactly it,” Lise agreed.

Sheila’s verdict on the endorsement: “It’s like feeling the icy lips of death kiss your face,” from a premier who led her party to a result so small “they didn’t even need a minivan, just a four-door sedan” to get to conventions.

Toronto decides its next mayor on Oct. 26.

Rebel Roundup streams live Monday through Friday at 11 a.m. MT / 1 p.m. ET.