We Won’t Have Rob Ford To Kick Around Anymore

Embattled Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, who has made news on both sides of the U.S.-Canadian border, has dropped out of the race for Mayor:

In a stunning last-minute reversal, Toronto Mayor Rob Ford has withdrawn from the mayoral race, with brother Doug Ford registering instead to run in his place.

Doug Ford officially signed his registration papers Friday afternoon, just minutes before the deadline for candidates to register. The elder Ford’s move came shortly after Rob Ford – who is in hospital with an abdominal tumour – withdrew his candidacy.

“I’ve asked Doug to finish what we started together, so that all we’ve accomplished isn’t washed away,” Rob Ford said in a statementissued shortly after his brother’s nomination papers were officially filed. “I have asked Doug to run to become the next Mayor of Toronto because we need him. We cannot go backwards.”

Rob Ford said in his statement that his medical condition is too severe to continue in the gruelling campaign for mayor but will run as a councillor instead, because he “will not turn his back on Ward 2.”

Doug Ford arrived at City Hall around 1:30 and walked into the mayor’s office, not talking to the crowd of reporters who surrounded him. Shortly after, and flanked by lawyer Gavin Tighe and family friend John Nunziata – who also submitted his registration to run for council in Ward 12 – he appeared in the election services office, where he signed the paperwork.

Earlier Friday afternoon, the mayor’s campaign spokesman Jeff Silverstein appeared at City Hall’s election services office, where he submitted a withdrawal form with Mr. Ford’s name on it. He later reappeared at the office to file registration papers for Doug Ford to run for mayor.

Mr. Silverstein also filed papers for Rob Ford to run instead as a councillor in Ward 2. Nephew Michael Ford, who until Friday was running in that ward, has dropped out of that race, and will instead run for Toronto District School Board.

There had been reports in recent days that Ford had been diagnosed with an abdominal tumor, so this isn’t entirely surprising. Admittedly, what is somewhat surprising are the family games being played here but, hey, it’s Rob Ford. What else should we expect?

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Doug Mataconis
About Doug Mataconis
Doug Mataconis held a B.A. in Political Science from Rutgers University and J.D. from George Mason University School of Law. He joined the staff of OTB in May 2010 and contributed a staggering 16,483 posts before his retirement in January 2020. He passed far too young in July 2021.

Comments

  1. Pinky says:

    We’ll still have him to kick around. This guy has reality show written all over him.

  2. michael reynolds says:

    Damn. It’s just one piece of bad news after another.

  3. rudderpedals says:

    Just think, in Kansas he’d need to drop the tumor on the intake desk to get off the ballot.

    That’s the only snicker I can come up on this awful news. I hope he feels and gets better soon.

  4. CB says:

    I feel for him, just as I feel for anyone obviously fighting demons the way he is.

    I hope he gets better, and finds himself some peace.

  5. rodney dill says:

    …and he lives in a van down by the river.

  6. PJ says:

    @michael reynolds:

    Damn. It’s just one piece of bad news after another.

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