John Tory’s political adversaries are stepping up their attacks on the former mayor — including the affair he resigned over — as some sources close to him say he’s now likely to run against incumbent Olivia Chow next year, and has held talks with key political insiders about a potential campaign.
The Star reported in JuneÌýthat Tory — who abruptly stepped down as mayor in February 2023 after the paper revealed he had a relationship with a staffer almost 40 years his junior — was considering running in the October 2026 mayoral election.
At the time, sources said they expected Tory to make a decision by the end of the summer in order to give other potential candidates on the centre-right enough time to either organize their own campaigns to topple Chow’s progressive administration, or make other plans.
Three sources with knowledge of Tory’s deliberations told the Star this week that while he has yet to make a call about entering the race,Ìýhe has recently been in talks with political operatives who would be key to a future campaign, including hisÌýformer fundraiser, Andy Pringle, which is an indication of how seriously he is contemplating a run. The sources said they believe he’s more likely than not to launch a 2026 mayoral bid. Pringle didn’t return a request for comment.
A feeling of unfinished business
“All indications are he’s running … He said he wants to run,” said one source, who, like others, spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive political discussions.Ìý
“I think he’s 95 per cent there that he will do it,” said a second source. They cautioned, however that Tory, who in his decades-long political career has gained a reputation for being indecisive, could yet change course. “I think he’s in, but with John Tory, it’s never official until he announces it,” they said.Ìý
A third source put the likelihood of Tory running next year at about 65 per cent.Ìý
A fourth source offered a different view. They stressed that while Tory has been having serious conversations with potential backers, his political future is “very much an unsettled question” and the former mayor is not “leaning one way or the other.”Ìý
There are conflicting views in Tory’s camp about whether he should run. One school of thought is that theÌý71-year-old, who has been serving on the board of the º£½ÇÉçÇø¹ÙÍøInternational Film Festival and making regular appearances on NewsTalk 1010, would ultimately be happier remaining a private figure. He would risk undermining his political legacy if he attempts a comeback and loses, and a campaign would also force him to field uncomfortable questions about his personal conduct while in office.
But according to sources, Tory feels he has unfinished business at city hall, still wants to perform public serviceÌýand harbours some regret about his resignation. He won election three times between 2014 and 2022 and he still has significant support. If he decides to run he’d have the backing of former council allies, ex-staffers, much of the local business sector and others unhappy with the direction of the city under Chow.
“People are asking him to get in the race, there’s no question about it,” said the third source.
Tory didn’t return a request for comment for this story.ÌýBut speaking to reporters outside a gathering of former council members on Friday, he acknowledged he was thinking of launching a mayoral challenge “because I do run into lots of people on the street who encourage me to get back into politics.”Ìý
But he said he was busy working with the film festival and other organizations, and isn’t preoccupied with the 2026 election. He noted the race doesn’t start until next year and gave no timeline for when he would make a decision. “I don’t think there’s any particular rush to deal with that right now.”Ìý ÌýÌý
Poll shows tight race
A Forum Research poll released Friday found that when asked to choose between Chow, Tory, former councillor Ana Bailão, and Coun. Brad Bradford (Ward 19, Beaches-East York), 36 per cent of respondents backed Chow, while Tory placed second with 30 per cent. But in a hypothetical head-to-head contest, Tory had the advantage over Chow, with 48 per cent to her 37 per cent. The poll is considered accurate plus or minus four percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
The city’s integrity commissioner released a 122-page report on former mayor John Tory’s
While sources told the Star earlier this year Tory was facing pressure to get off the fence so anti-Chow forces could rally around a single challenger, that pressure may have dissipated, with some close to the former mayor questioning how serious other potential candidates are about running.
Bailão, who came second to Chow in the June 2023 mayoral byelection,Ìýtold the Star Thursday she’s enjoying her work at developer Dream, and isn’t focused on next year’s election. Former Liberal MP Marco Mendicino, who served as Prime Minister Mark Carney’s chief of staff earlier this year and has also been rumoured to be weighing a run, didn’t return a request for comment.
Bradford is expected to join the mayor’s race, but his ambitions likely won’t factor into the timing of Tory’s decision. The pair are former allies, but fell out when Tory endorsed Bailão in the 2023 byelection.
Still, Tory has been advised that he shouldn’t delay too long. “The worst thing he can do is not make a decision until 2026,” which would give little time for others to put a campaign together, said the first source, who acknowledged Tory likely won’t decide “until he absolutely has to.”Ìý
Attack ads target affair
As speculation about whether Tory will run swirls, Chow’s supporters are signalling he can expect a bruising campaign if he makes a return to politics.
In recent weeks left-wing advocacy group Progress Toronto, which backed Chow in 2023, has posted online attack ads targeting Tory over his relationship. Some of the posts reference feature video clips of aÌýJuly council debate, orchestrated by Chow allies, that rehashed theÌýOctoberÌý2023Ìýintegrity commissioner report that found Tory’s relationship violated ethics and conflict of interest rules.
Sources acknowledge Tory would likely face uncomfortable questions about his conduct in office if he ran again, but say they don’t believe it
Sources acknowledge Tory would likely face uncomfortable questions about his conduct in office if he ran again, but say they don’t believe it
The posts say Tory “resigned in disgrace” and compare him to former New York governor Andrew Cuomo, who stepped down in 2021 over sexual harassment allegations. Tory wasn’t accused of harassment, and the integrity commissioner found the relationship with his staffer was consensual.
“If he runs again, it will be a very difficult ride,” Progress º£½ÇÉçÇø¹ÙÍøexecutive director Saman Tabasinejad told the Star. “Our hundreds of volunteers are ready to remind people across º£½ÇÉçÇø¹ÙÍøof his scandals, his conflicts of interest and the ways his leadership made life harder. Tory won’t get another free pass and we aren’t shy to hold him accountable.”
Chow hasn’t announced her intentions, but is expected to seek re-election.
A source close to the mayor said that while her office wasn’t behind either the Progress º£½ÇÉçÇø¹ÙÍøposts or theÌýJuly debate, they can both be seen as efforts by her backers to make Tory think twice about running. The source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity in order to discuss political strategy, said Chow’s office wouldn’t shy away from raising Tory’s relationship and alleged ethics violations if he decides to challenge her.Ìý
On Friday, Tory called the Progress º£½ÇÉçÇø¹ÙÍøads “unfortunate” and said he hoped Chow would denounce them.
With files from Mahdis Habibinia
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