Doug Ford to enter campaign mode after dramatic turn of events
Posted September 15, 2014 6:42 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
TORONTO (NEWS1130) – Doug Ford is expected to launch his campaign this week after taking his brother Rob Ford’s place on Toronto’s mayoral ballot on Friday.
Ford took the weekend off to spend time with his family, skipping a mayoral debate on Sunday.
Speaking to reporters after the debate, front-runner John Tory said he takes Doug Ford “very seriously” as a candidate. He added that Ford is well-known to the voters.
“I think Mr. Ford’s record of disparaging members of city council, disparaging members of the provincial government, being in combat with people at city hall, people will know that for what it is,” said Tory.
Ford has yet to name any members of his campaign team, including a potential manager. He had been serving as manager on his brother’s campaign.
Snap polls conducted Friday, as Ford officially announced he was running for mayor outside his mother’s Etobicoke home, placed the former councillor in second or third place in the race for mayor.
A Forum Research poll shows Ford in second with 34 per cent of the vote behind John Tory’s 41 per cent and ahead of third-place Chow who had 19 per cent of the vote.
A poll by Mainstreet Technologies showed Ford in third place with 16 per cent behind Tory with 45 per cent and Chow with 27 per cent.
The Mainstreet poll also showed Mayor Ford leading the race for a council seat in Ward 2, Etobicoke North with 49 per cent of the vote, ahead of his closest opponent Andray Domise with 19 per cent.
Both polls had a three per cent margin of error 19 times out of 20.
Rob Ford remains in hospital awaiting the results of a biopsy on an abdominal tumour.
