Jessica Bell (politician)

For the Australian author, see Jessica Bell (author).

Jessica Bell
MPP
Member of the Ontario Provincial Parliament
for University—Rosedale
Incumbent
Assumed office
June 7, 2018
Preceded byConstituency established
Shadow Cabinet Positions
2025–PresentFinance and Treasury Board
2022–2025Housing
2018–2022Transit
Personal details
Citizenship
Political partyOntario New Democratic
Residence(s)Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Occupation
  • Politician
  • community organizer

Jessica Bell is a Canadian politician who is the member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) for University—Rosedale. Bell was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in 2018 as a member of the Ontario New Democratic Party (NDP). She is currently the Official Opposition critic for finance and Treasury Board.

Advocacy

Bell was a community organizer and was involved with advocacy groups across North America. She was a member of the Rainforest Action Network, where in 2004, she and a group of nine demonstrators were arrested after climbing a crane in Seattle and displaying a banner against old-growth logging. Her trespassing charge was later withdrawn.[1][2] Bell has also been arrested as part of a protest over mercury contamination in the Grassy Narrows First Nation.[2][3]

Bell founded TTCriders, an advocacy group campaigning for improving the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). She was the group's first executive director.[4] Bell has also been the director of the California Food and Justice Coalition, and was a lecturer at Toronto Metropolitan University.[5]

Political career

Bell was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in the 2018 provincial election.[6] Bell was named the Opposition critic for transit.[7]

Bell introduced a private member's bill, Bill 62, Protecting Vulnerable Road Users Act. The bill proposed increased penalties for vehicle drivers who injure or kill pedestrians, cyclists, or first responders. Bill 62 was not voted on by the Legislative Assembly of Ontario before it was dissolved for the 2022 Ontario general election.[8] Bell proposed two further related bills in 2019 and 2020; one which required the reporting of dooring accidents and another which would have established a Vision Zero strategy in Ontario, respectively. Neither bill was considered by the Legislature.[9][10]

In 2021, she became the Opposition critic for housing issues.[7] Bell has criticized the Progressive Conservative government for ordering the demolition of bike lanes in Toronto and removing legal protections for injured cyclists.[11]

Bell was re-elected in the 2022 provincial election, remaining as Opposition housing critic.[7]

She was re-elected in the 2025 provincial election, later becoming the Opposition critic for finance and Treasury Board.[7]

Personal life

Bell is a dual citizen of Canada and the United States.

She voted for Kamala Harris in the 2024 United States presidential election.[12]

Electoral record

2025 Ontario general election: University—Rosedale
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
New Democratic 17,912 45.50 +7.95
Liberal Pam Jeffery 12,098 30.73 +3.37
Progressive Conservative Sydney Pothakos 7,829 19.89 +2.31
Green Ignacio Mongrell 1,227 3.12 –12.76
New Blue Dylan Harris 299 0.76 –0.50
Total valid votes/expense limit 39,365 99.26 –0.23
Total rejected, unmarked, and declined ballots 295 0.74 +0.23
Turnout 39,660 45.37 +2.17
Eligible voters 87,418
New Democratic hold Swing +2.29
Source: Elections Ontario[13]
2022 Ontario general election: University—Rosedale
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
New Democratic 13,961 37.55 −12.11 $96,148
Liberal Andrea Barrack 10,172 27.36 +5.30 $120,103
Progressive Conservative Carl Qiu 6,535 17.58 −3.53 $43,740
Green Dianne Saxe 5,904 15.88 +10.51 $118,893
New Blue James Leventakis 469 1.26   $47
Stop the New Sex-Ed Agenda John Kanary 140 0.38   $0
Total valid votes/expense limit 37,181 99.49 +0.45 $121,100
Total rejected, unmarked, and declined ballots 189 0.51 −0.45
Turnout 37,370 43.20 −13.43
Eligible voters 86,192
New Democratic hold Swing −8.71
Source(s)
  • "Summary of Valid Votes Cast for Each Candidate" (PDF). Elections Ontario. 2022. Archived from the original on 18 May 2023.
  • "Statistical Summary by Electoral District" (PDF). Elections Ontario. 2022. Archived from the original on 21 May 2023.
2018 Ontario general election: University—Rosedale
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
New Democratic Jessica Bell 24,537 49.66 +25.39
Liberal Jo-Ann Davis 10,898 22.06 -26.04
Progressive Conservative Gillian Smith 10,431 21.11 +2.98
Green Tim Grant 2,652 5.37 -1.69
New People's Choice Daryl Christoff 284 0.57
Independent Doug MacLeod 220 0.45
Libertarian Ryan Swim 206 0.42
Go Vegan Paulo Figueiras 106 0.21
Special Needs Hilton Milan 78 0.16
Total valid votes 49,412 99.04
Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots 480 0.96
Turnout 49,892 56.63
Eligible voters 88,097
New Democratic pickup new district.
Source: Elections Ontario[14]

References

  1. ^ Clarridge, Christine (19 March 2004). "Protesters charged with sabotage of construction site". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on 12 February 2025.
  2. ^ a b ""Horwath defends activist candidates, says people do 'radical' things for change"". CTV News. 31 May 2018. pp. Video interview + article.
  3. ^ ""Horwath defends activist NDP candidate, says people do 'radical' things for change"". CBC News. 31 May 2018.
  4. ^ "In conversation with Jessica Bell, NDP candidate for University—Rosedale". The Varsity. 6 June 2018. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
  5. ^ "Re-Elect Jessica Bell". Re-Elect Jessica Bell. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
  6. ^ "Ontario election 2018: University—Rosedale riding | Globalnews.ca". Global News. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
  7. ^ a b c d "Jessica Bell | Legislative Assembly of Ontario". www.ola.org. 2 June 2022. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  8. ^ "Bill 62, Protecting Vulnerable Road Users Act, 2018". ola.org. Toronto: Legislative Assembly of Ontario. 21 November 2018. Retrieved 14 February 2025.
  9. ^ "Bill 148, Doored But Not Ignored Act, 2019". ola.org. Toronto: Legislative Assembly of Ontario. 21 November 2019. Retrieved 14 February 2025.
  10. ^ "Bill 185, Vision Zero Strategy Act, 2020". ola.org. Toronto: Legislative Assembly of Ontario. 12 March 2020. Retrieved 14 February 2025.
  11. ^ Carter, Adam (21 November 2024). "Injured cyclists can't sue province under amendment to new Ontario bike lane bill, NDP says". Toronto: CBC News. Retrieved 14 February 2025.
  12. ^ "Jessica Bell's Twitter account".
  13. ^ "Vote Totals From Official Tabulation" (PDF). Elections Ontario. 3 March 2025. Retrieved 4 March 2025.
  14. ^ "Summary of Valid Votes Cast for each Candidate" (PDF). Elections Ontario. p. 8. Retrieved 20 January 2019.


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