In a surprising political twist, two Green Party candidates in Ontario have thrown their support behind NDP opponents, raising fresh concerns about vote-splitting in the upcoming election.
On Monday, Shefaza Esmail, the Green candidate in Waterloo, publicly endorsed NDP incumbent Catherine Fife—an announcement that caught many off guard, including Fife herself.
“I was quite surprised, I have to say,” Fife admitted during an interview on The Mike Farwell Show. “Shefaza and I had just done a debate at CBC earlier that morning, and there was no indication this was coming.”
Fife suggested that Esmail’s move was driven by a deep concern for the community rather than party politics. “She’s demonstrating how much she cares,” Fife said.
The issue of vote-splitting—when similar-minded voters divide their support between two candidates, unintentionally benefiting a third—has loomed large in this election.
“I’m not saying the Green vote will make a huge difference for me personally,” Fife noted. “But I believe Shefaza’s goal was to highlight the fact that vote-splitting is a real concern.”
She added that, depending on the election outcome, Ontario may need to have “some hard conversations” about political alliances and electoral reform.
Another Green Candidate Joins the Movement
Meanwhile, over in Kitchener—Conestoga, Green candidate Brayden Wagenaar made a similar move, endorsing his NDP rival, Jodi Szimanski, at the start of a local debate.
“The truth of the matter is, we need a candidate who truly cares,” Wagenaar said. “And in our current, not-so-great democratic voting system, the only way to make that happen is to rally behind one strong option.”
Green Leader Responds
Ontario Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner weighed in, emphasizing that these endorsements were personal decisions, not party directives.
“One of the things I always tell our candidates and MPPs is that I’m not your boss,” Schreiner told CityNews. “The people of your riding are your boss. If these two candidates made decisions based on what their communities want, I respect that.”
However, Schreiner maintained his focus on electing more Green representatives, arguing that political power is too concentrated in party leadership.
“One of the biggest problems in politics today is that too much control rests in the hands of the prime minister, premier, or party leaders,” he said. “We need to elect more local champions who will be the voice of the people.”
As election day nears, these unexpected endorsements have sparked debates about strategic voting, party loyalty, and whether Ontario’s electoral system is due for a major shake-up.
