McConnell served as a member of Toronto City Council for Ward 28 from its creation in 2000, and was re-elected every term until her death. In November 2013, she briefly became a subject of national and international news coverage when Mayor Rob Ford, during council debate on November 18 around him of discretionary powers following his drug use scandal, got up out of his chair and began to run in the council chamber, bumping into McConnell and knocking her to the ground."Rob Ford knocks over city councillor". CBC News, November 18, 2013.
