Ex-Liberal MP Han Dong running for Toronto councillor in Scarborough North

Han Dong appears as a witness at the Public Inquiry Into Foreign Interference in Federal Electoral Processes and Democratic Institutions, Tuesday, April 2, 2024, in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

Former Liberal Toronto MP Han Dong is running to become a Toronto city councillor.

Dong announced on Wednesday that he had filed his nomination application at City Hall, seeking to represent Ward 23, Scarborough North.

Currently, the ward is represented by Coun. Jamaal Myers, who is seeking re-election. The other person who is running for the seat is Kevin Li. According to his campaign website, Li served as an assistant to the late Scarborough North councillor Cynthia Lai.

In a statement, the former Don Valley North MP said he will use his “extensive policy background” to “deliver pragmatic, fiscally responsible solutions for local residents.”

He pointed out he previously worked with Scarborough politicians, which he said will give him “deep insight” into the needs of the community.

“If elected, I will lean on my decades of political experience to leverage more resources from provincial and federal governments for Toronto and attract more investment to create more jobs in Scarborough North,” said Dong, who was also a former Ontario Liberal MPP.

Dong resigned from the Liberal caucus on March 22, 2023, following media reports alleging he told a Chinese diplomat in 2021 that releasing Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor from detention would benefit the Conservatives.

He denied the claim, which was later corroborated by a commission of inquiry into foreign interference. Dong did not suggest that Beijing should extend the detention of the two Michaels, the commission’s final report said in January 2025.

Dong did not seek re-election in the 2025 federal election.

With files from The Canadian Press