POTENTIAL SUCCESSORS TO ROB FORD’S SEAT
Toronto council will vote next month on whether to appoint a replacement for Rob Ford in Ward 2, Etobicoke North, or hold a byelection. Here are some possible replacements: Doug Ford: The late councillor’s brother is the leading contender. The Etobicoke business owner held the seat from 2010 to 2014, when he launched an unsuccessful mayoral bid. He has signalled that the Ford family will continue being active in the ward it has represented since 1990. Ford has said he was quite pleased to leave city hall. However, returning to politics would give him a springboard and keep the Ford name in the headlines. Michael Ford: Rob and Doug’s nephew, known as “Mikey” to many, was the Ward 2 candidate in 2014. He dropped out to run, successfully, for the Toronto District School Board after Rob moved to the council race. Considered less aggressive and more open to compromise than his uncles, he is still finding his legs as a politician. Krista Ford: Doug’s daughter is a long shot but, sources say, he has mused in the past about her running for council. Bright, personable and known as an organizer, Krista studied business at college and was part of the Lingerie Football League. Luke LaRocque: LaRocque was a 28-year-old community development worker when he finished a distant second to Rob Ford in Ward 2 in 2014. He has since moved to Muskoka and said in a text he is focusing on his family and “it doesn’t look like I will be running in the byelection.” Andray Domise: The Rexdale-raised former financial planner built a following on Twitter with pointed crit- icism of the Fords’ representation of the ward. He finished third in the 2014 election. Domise said he is focused on community initiatives but did not completely close the door on replacing Ford. Doug Holyday: Rob Ford’s former deputy mayor and longtime councillor of a neighbouring ward was knocked out of politics in the 2014 provincial election. He could continue the Fords’ fiscal conservatism and keep the seat warm in case a family member wants to run in 2018. Peter Leon: Appointed by city council to replace Holyday in Ward 3 of the final year of the 2010-14 term, Leon is a conservative, a retired salesman and a former chair of Etobicoke Hydro. Colleagues gave him high marks for quickly finding his feet and contributing at council. David Rider