Meme-worthy Toronto MP candidate may have had more election signs than votes

A candidate who refuses to give up his dream of joining Canadian politics in any capacity has proven in Monday's federal election — and not for the first time, either — that more is not always better, at least when it comes to campaign signs.

The GTA has been plastered with the face of Xiao Hua Gong periodically in the last few years: first when he ran for Mayor of Toronto in 2023, then of Mississauga in 2024, and, most recently, when he endeavoured to become the MP of Don Valley North.

When we say plastered, we do mean to say that Gong's face really has been everywhere, so much so that constituents complained all over socials about the sheer number of election signs he produced and installed across all corners of the city, at least in his earlier bids.

This time around, while running for MP, the businessman appeared to tone down his strategy somewhat. But, he still faced his fair share of signage drama, speaking out last week about people tearing down and defacing his posters, and about being "silenced."

Whether it was a result of his years of excessive promotional tactics having the opposite effect than intended, or his confusing and shady lore, Gong ended up losing the MP seat in last night's vote to Liberal Maggie Chi.

Running unaffiliated with any party, he only secured 255 votes to Chi's 25,186, putting him in sixth place of six after the local Liberal, Conservative, NDP, Green and PPC candidates.

Even if he didn't land a position in parliament (or before that, office), though, you've got to commend Gong's determination, which has at least resulted in a ton of brand recognition, viral local fame, merch and memes, if not any actual political wins.