Doug Ford has lost his bid to replace his brother as mayor of Toronto, but for a family that seems to view themselves as a dynasty, there’s still a war to be won.
Although Doug lost to John Tory, current Mayor Rob Ford won back his old seat in Etobicoke’s Ward 2, often called the heart of Ford Nation. Despite having only put his name in the race at the last possible moment, despite not being able to campaign a full strength due to his cancer diagnosis and despite deciding he was too ill to be mayor but perfectly fine to be a councillor, Mayor Ford garnered 58 per cent of the vote. The next closest candidate had just 11 per cent support.
And then, of course, there was the months-long scandal involving substance abuse, alleged drunk driving and accusations of conflicts of interest that time and time again failed to discourage the mayor’s most passionate supporters.
In his victory speech on Monday night, Mayor Ford made it clear that his brother’s loss was merely a temporary setback.
“We, today, gotta start working for November of 2018,” said Rob.
“If you know anything about the Ford family, folks, if you know anything about the Ford family, we never, ever, ever give up.”
Rob Ford consoles his brother. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn)
He was even more candid with the Toronto Sun’s Joe Warmington, saying “I will be running for mayor in four years” and that he “will be the first person to sign up in 2018.”
There’s also the freshest face in the Ford clan: 20-year-old Michael Ford.
The son of Rob and Doug’s sister Kathy, on Monday night Michael won the position of public school board Trustee in Ward 1. He received 43.7 per cent of the vote despite that, like the mayor, he only switched to the ballot hours before deadline. He had been running as councillor in Ward 2 but made the change when Uncle Rob joined in.
In her book Crazy Town: The Rob Ford Story, journalist Robyn Doolittle wrote the Fords see themselves as the Canadian Kennedys — a family with the desire to pick and choose who among them will rise to power. Even as Doug took over the bid for mayor, his words were always “we” and “our administration,” seeing no difference between himself and his brother, save a drug scandal or two.
The Fords may not have managed to win the mayor’s office again, but they are clearly determined to remain an enduring force in Toronto politics.
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