Former Toronto mayor John Tory, whose resignation over an affair with a staffer triggered a byelection, stepped back into the public realm on Wednesday to endorse his ex-deputy, Ana Bailão, for the city's top job.
Tory had vowed earlier to stay out of the race but changed that plan with a video and written statement put out by Bailão's campaign that called her a "fighter," a "negotiator" and a "leader."
"Ana earned my respect and my trust because of who she is and what she can do. She stood up to me and she changed my mind and had my back and in doing so she made me and this city better," Tory said.
"She will be there for you, every day, working tirelessly to make this city better."
The endorsement came just day's ahead of Monday's byelection, which has seen a record 102 candidates run for office since Tory made his exit in February.
The former mayor said Bailão has a strong track record of working with all levels of government, the private sector and community groups – skills that are important to lead Canada's most populous city.
"The Mayor of Toronto cannot be polarizing or divisive. They can’t be driven by party politics or represent just one group of people. It’s all hands on deck," he said.
"Mayors of Toronto can’t pick fights they don’t know how to win. You have to be pragmatic. You have to be able to move projects forward, day by day, month by month. "
Bailão, Tory said, was best equipped to do all parts of the mayor's job.
"Ana will lead with courage and determination. She will seize opportunities and bring people together and pick the right fights," he said.
"Ana Bailão is the right choice for mayor. She is the leader who can deliver on the promise of Toronto."
Some surveys conducted ahead of the June 26 vote indicate that Tory, who was elected to his third term in a landslide in October, remains popular with Torontonians. Polls also suggest Bailão is lagging behind apparent front-runner Olivia Chow, a veteran progressive leader and former federal lawmaker with the New Democrat Party.
Bailão, who was born in Portugal and moved to Canada with her family at age 15, served as Tory's deputy from 2017-2022.
She opted not to seek re-election as a city councillor in 2022 and took a job with a large Toronto developer as its head of affordable housing and public affairs. Her campaign has included a Tory-era promise to keep taxes at or below the rate of inflation despite a nearly $1-billion budget shortfall.
The 46-year-old has staked much of her campaign on her housing record – she was Tory's housing point person as the city grapples with issues of housing affordability.
Critics have said, however, that having Bailão as mayor would maintain what some call a broken status quo in the city.
Bailão, meanwhile, has portrayed herself as a pragmatic consensus builder and is also backed by seven city councillors and nine Liberal parliamentarians.
Earlier Wednesday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford – who is supporting ex-police chief Mark Saunders for mayor – said he wished Tory was still at the city’s helm.
Ford went on to say that it would be an “unmitigated disaster” if Chow was elected mayor, suggesting she’d hike taxes significantly.
“God forbid Olivia Chow gets elected, your taxes are going up at an unprecedented rate,” Ford said. “I just want what's best for the people of Toronto.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 21, 2023.
The Canadian Press
