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| Toronto mayor Rob Ford drops re-election bid after tumour diagnosis | Toronto mayor Rob Ford drops re-election bid after tumour diagnosis |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| Toronto mayor Rob Ford withdrew from his re-election race on Friday, only half an hour before a deadline to set the final ballot. Ford now plans to run for a spot on the city council, while his brother takes his place in the mayoral election. | Toronto mayor Rob Ford withdrew from his re-election race on Friday, only half an hour before a deadline to set the final ballot. Ford now plans to run for a spot on the city council, while his brother takes his place in the mayoral election. |
| Ford, who became known internationally after Gawker announced in May 2013 that it had been offered videos of him smoking crack cocaine, was admitted to hospital on Wednesday after complaining of stomach pains and was diagnosed with an abdominal tumor. | Ford, who became known internationally after Gawker announced in May 2013 that it had been offered videos of him smoking crack cocaine, was admitted to hospital on Wednesday after complaining of stomach pains and was diagnosed with an abdominal tumor. |
| The change to the ballot was made with less than half an hour to go before a 2pm deadline for registration of candidates. First, Rob Ford’s name was removed from the list for mayor of Toronto, and then re-registered for election for councillor of Toronto’s Ward 2, Etobicoke North, which he represented from 2000 to 2010. Within two minutes, Ford’s brother Doug had registered to run for mayor. | The change to the ballot was made with less than half an hour to go before a 2pm deadline for registration of candidates. First, Rob Ford’s name was removed from the list for mayor of Toronto, and then re-registered for election for councillor of Toronto’s Ward 2, Etobicoke North, which he represented from 2000 to 2010. Within two minutes, Ford’s brother Doug had registered to run for mayor. |
| “My heart is heavy when I tell you that I’m unable to continue my campaign for re-election as your mayor,” Rob Ford said in a statement. “I have asked Doug to run to become the next mayor of Toronto, because we need him.” | “My heart is heavy when I tell you that I’m unable to continue my campaign for re-election as your mayor,” Rob Ford said in a statement. “I have asked Doug to run to become the next mayor of Toronto, because we need him.” |
| “I love our city and I love being your mayor. It has been an honour and a privilege to serve you.” | “I love our city and I love being your mayor. It has been an honour and a privilege to serve you.” |
| Doug Ford told reporters on Friday that his brother was “in the fight for his life”, but that he would follow his wishes. “I would jump off a bridge for the guy.” | Doug Ford told reporters on Friday that his brother was “in the fight for his life”, but that he would follow his wishes. “I would jump off a bridge for the guy.” |
| In a statement on Thursday, Dr Zane Cohen of Mount Sinai hospital in Toronto said that there would be no updates on Ford’s condition for about a week, until results of a biopsy on the tumour become available. This is the second time he has had a tumor; in 2009, he had surgery to remove a growth on his appendix. Part of his bowel, where the tumor had spread, was also removed. | In a statement on Thursday, Dr Zane Cohen of Mount Sinai hospital in Toronto said that there would be no updates on Ford’s condition for about a week, until results of a biopsy on the tumour become available. This is the second time he has had a tumor; in 2009, he had surgery to remove a growth on his appendix. Part of his bowel, where the tumor had spread, was also removed. |
| Doug Ford was rumoured to be running for mayor in his brother’s place as far back as May, when Rob Ford was admitted to a rehab facility for drug and alcohol abuse. Doug Ford had been closely involved with his brother’s campaign, acting as a de facto campaign manager. | Doug Ford was rumoured to be running for mayor in his brother’s place as far back as May, when Rob Ford was admitted to a rehab facility for drug and alcohol abuse. Doug Ford had been closely involved with his brother’s campaign, acting as a de facto campaign manager. |
| The most recent polls of the mayoral race had shown Rob Ford trailing well behind John Tory, the former leader of the Progressive Conservative Party, with another challenger, Olivia Chow, in third place. | The most recent polls of the mayoral race had shown Rob Ford trailing well behind John Tory, the former leader of the Progressive Conservative Party, with another challenger, Olivia Chow, in third place. |
| Doug Ford stayed to manage the family business while his brother went into municipal politics, but then succeeded him as councillor for Ward 2 in 2010 when Rob Ford ran for mayor. He was not seeking a second term as councillor, citing frustration with municipal politics. “I’ll be running away from this place in 16 months time,” he said in 2013. | Doug Ford stayed to manage the family business while his brother went into municipal politics, but then succeeded him as councillor for Ward 2 in 2010 when Rob Ford ran for mayor. He was not seeking a second term as councillor, citing frustration with municipal politics. “I’ll be running away from this place in 16 months time,” he said in 2013. |
| Mike Ford, the son of Doug and Rob’s sister Kathy, was running to replace Doug Ford, but withdrew from the race on Friday to make room for his other uncle. | Mike Ford, the son of Doug and Rob’s sister Kathy, was running to replace Doug Ford, but withdrew from the race on Friday to make room for his other uncle. |
| Rob Ford’s popularity is linked to the 1998 amalgamation of the six municipal regions of greater Toronto into a single city municipality. The long-term effect was to create a split between the wealthy, aspirational inner city of Toronto, and the blue-collar, working-class and immigrant-heavy outer suburbs like Scarborough and North York. | Rob Ford’s popularity is linked to the 1998 amalgamation of the six municipal regions of greater Toronto into a single city municipality. The long-term effect was to create a split between the wealthy, aspirational inner city of Toronto, and the blue-collar, working-class and immigrant-heavy outer suburbs like Scarborough and North York. |
| In these outer boroughs, Rob Ford was a sensation. His pep-rally-cum-street-festival FordFest, an annual event, drew an estimated crowd of 12,000 this July. His campaign is partly funded by the sale of Rob Ford bobble-head dolls and other merchandise. Signed examples are going for as much as $750 on eBay. | In these outer boroughs, Rob Ford was a sensation. His pep-rally-cum-street-festival FordFest, an annual event, drew an estimated crowd of 12,000 this July. His campaign is partly funded by the sale of Rob Ford bobble-head dolls and other merchandise. Signed examples are going for as much as $750 on eBay. |
| The question now is whether Doug Ford can benefit from his brother’s celebrity. “A lot of people identified with Rob Ford,” said Nelson Wiseman, a professor of political science at the University of Toronto. “They might identify strongly with Rob Ford, but not with Doug. They don’t know Doug.” | The question now is whether Doug Ford can benefit from his brother’s celebrity. “A lot of people identified with Rob Ford,” said Nelson Wiseman, a professor of political science at the University of Toronto. “They might identify strongly with Rob Ford, but not with Doug. They don’t know Doug.” |
| But recent polling in the Etobicoke North ward for Mike Ford suggests that the family name carries a certain magic – before he stepped aside, Mike Ford was running 20 percentage points ahead of his nearest opponent, with 50% of the vote. | But recent polling in the Etobicoke North ward for Mike Ford suggests that the family name carries a certain magic – before he stepped aside, Mike Ford was running 20 percentage points ahead of his nearest opponent, with 50% of the vote. |
| Adrienne Batra, who was director of communications on Rob Ford’s 2010 mayoral campaign, and served as his first press secretary in the mayor’s office, told the Guardian that Doug and Rob Ford were so close that an ongoing joke during her time at city hall was that it was “a dual-mayor system”. | |
| “Doug’s the typical big brother,” she said. “He will do and say whatever he can for his younger brother.” She said that she saw their relationship as being much more about the Ford family than about them as individuals. “I’m not surprised that Doug is running in his stead.” |