Promising to continue his late uncle Rob Ford’s legacy, Michael Ford has easily won a byelection in Ward 2 North Etobicoke.
Unofficial results show Ford captured almost 70 per cent of the vote in the election, with his nearest competition among the other 11 candidates being small business owner Jeff Canning, who took 20.5 per cent.
“Tonight more than ever we miss Rob,” the 22-year-old Ford told a crowd of cheering supporters after the unofficial results came in. “Over the last two and a half months I've been across the ward, in every corner of our community, and they gave me the same message: 'If you're like your Uncle Rob, just show up and you'll have our support,' and that is exactly what I'm going to do.”
Ford’s win means that the Etobicoke ward will continue to be represented by a member of the Ford family, which has held the seat since Rob Ford won it in 2000.
“It is a lot of pressure. It is big shoes to fill but I’ve been brought up in a family dedicated to public service in Etobicoke North and in the city of Toronto so it is my heart, it is in my blood,” Michael Ford told CP24 Monday morning.
Michael Ford previously ran in Ward 2 in the last municipal election but exited the race when his uncle Rob was diagnosed with a rare form of soft tissue cancer and decided he would have to pull out of his mayoral campaign and seek election in Ward 2 instead.
Rob Ford died in March after an 18-month battle with cancer and in May, city council voted in favour of holding a byelection to fill the seat.
Michael Ford, who ran for a seat as a Toronto District School Board trustee in 2014, stepped down form that role to run for council in the byelection.
Flanked by his grandmother Diane Ford and other family members Monday night, he said that reducing crime and continuing to provide good customer service to constituents would be his priorities.
Ford is one of the youngest people ever elected to Toronto City Council.
Speaking to the fact, Diane Ford joked with reporters that her grandson “was born old.”
Mayor John Tory issued a brief statement congratulating Ford following the byelection results.
“I want to congratulate Michael Ford on his election and look forward to working with him to serve Etobicoke North and the people of Toronto,” Tory said in the statement. “I would also like to thank all the candidates who put their names forward and the volunteers who participated in the by-election. Our city is better for your service.”
Two TDSB races close
Two other races held Monday to fill empty spots on the Toronto District School Board came to a closer finish.
Avtar Minhas won the race to replace Michael Ford’s vacated Ward 1 seat at the Toronto District School Board. Minhas took 29.67 per cent of the vote, compared to runner-up John Hastings, who got 22.78 per cent.
In a race for a Ward 5 TDSB seat, Alexandra Lulka appears to have narrowly defeated Erica Shiner by less than three points. Lulka got 31.716 per cent of the vote compared to Shiner’s 29.203 per cent according to unofficial results posted by the city.
- With files from The Canadian Press
