Guide to who’s running for city’s top political job
Mayoral candidates in Toronto election
By Kris Scheuer
(Updated Oct. 21.)
Councillor Joe Pantalone is running for mayor of Toronto.
The Toronto election campaign officially began Jan. 4 and *40 people are registered for mayor’s race.
Coun. Rob Ford registered March 25.
Coun. Joe Pantalone made it official Jan. 13. Former MPP George Smitherman filed his nomination papers Jan. 8.
They are not alone.
As of Sept. 10 (last day to register or withdraw), here’s the list: lawyer Rocco Achampong, Michael Alexander, George Babula, Christopher Ball, Michael Brausewetter, Douglas Campbell, Jaime Castillo, Kevin Clarke, Keith Cole, Charlene Cottle, Diane Devenyi, James Di Fiore, David Epstein, Selwyn Firth, Michael Flie, Councillor Rob Ford, Abdullah-Baquie Ghazi, Howard Gomberg, Barry Goodhead, Monowar Hossain, Dewitt Lee, John Letonja, Colin Magee, Carmen Macklin, Joseph Pampena, deputy mayor Joe Pantalone, former MPP George Smitherman, Vijay Sarma, Mark State, Tibor Steinberger, Himy Syed, Weizhen Tang, Phil Taylor, David Vallance, Ratan Wadhwa and Daniel Walker.
And Gerald Derome who, on his website that he links to from his Twitter account, has written some disturbing passages about wanting to have sexual contact with girls as young as nine (see blue shaded post with heading Ecto Gamma.)
Also running is Don Andrews, who is head of the Nationalist Party of Canada and a white supremacist. You should know he is a proud racist. I interviewed him when he ran for mayor in 2003. He has been convicted and done time for hate crimes in the 1970s.
*Businesswoman Sarah Thomson withdrew after the nominations closed, so she’ll remain on the ballot.
*Liberal strategist Rocco Rossi dropped out on Oct. 13, but will still be on the ballot.
Other Withdrawn candidates: Giorgio Mammoliti officially withdrew his candidacy July 9. Adam Giambrone held a press conference Feb. 10 to apologize for affairs while maintaining a committed relationship and by March 10 had withdrawn from the race. Perpetual mayoral candidate Kevin Clarke withdrew March 31 but is now registered again. Stephen Feek, Ange Maniccia, Mark Cidade, Mell Findlay, Wendell Brereton, Nasseb Husain, Carmen Macklin, Jim McMillan, Sonny Yeung and Andrew Barton.
Who do you like for the next mayor?
Kris Scheuer 
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There is some very useful election information at http://www.ontariotenants.ca/government/election.phtml
I just watched global news and saw that the great Rob Ford persuading mayoral candidates to withdraw from the Toronto Mayoral race like in the case of Rev. Wendell Brereton a mayoral candidate who switched for the run for city council for Ward 6 in exchange for an endorsement on same sex marriage from mayoral candidate Mr. Ford.
I got the Ford fest BBQ invite for this week and probably the rest of the mayoral candidates did as well so this might be a possible deal-making event to eliminate the rest of the competition.
I live in Ward 16 and Karen Stintz is my councillor and she is the best person for city hall and she listens to the people and I will never run against her.
Between the big five mayoral candidates I don’t see fixing or solving or helping the ones that need help like the poor and the businesses.
Areas of this great city live in third world conditions where crime is high and children and the elderly are starving and some people live under bridges and all the big five mayoral candidates can talk about is Transit City and streetcars and pretty buildings and teaching little children to swim in our great lake with the dead fish.
What the (can’t say that word because I am running for mayor) is this.
If I was smoking the same stuff that the big five was smoking maybe I would understand it but I don’t smoke that stuff.
This city needs to be fixed now not later because later never comes.
What have these big five mayoral candidates offered to the people of Toronto? I heard that they throw good backyard parties and that is it.
I want to make Toronto a better place to live.
Poverty should only exist in history books.
Hi Tibor,
I would go to the Ford BBQ is I were you. I here they are quite the events and it would be good to witness for yourself and mingle with other political types. I terms of making Toronto a better place to live, I am with you on that.
I would like to see more candidates talk not just what’s wrong with the city but about their vision to make it a better place for everyone who lives, works and plays here.
You mention you live in ward 16 but wouldn’t run against Coun. Karen Stintz. Are you thinking of switching from the mayor’s race to a council race instead?
Towriter, I was referring to the Reverend who decided to settle for an endorsement from Rob Ford an in return he left the race for the Mayor’s job
I am not interested in a councillor position and I am fully satisfied on how Counsellor Stintz does her job in the Ward I live in.
Toronto needs change now and as Mayor I can make it happen.
Thirty candidates for mayor and the media only want to hear from six which is a consultant, a former MPP, a media mogul who is a woman, a city councillor that doesn’t want change, an Italian stallion, a slasher or cutter of city budget.
For the rest like me it’s all about jumping up and down and waving the arms and hope the media will ask why.
Once you got the attention of the media it is important to tell them why it is important for people to know about why you want to be mayor.
It’s all about sales where your selling benefits to the people so they can have a comfortable life.
People like to buy brands as opposed to no names so you got to brand yourself and people will be more likely vote for you and the media will want to hear from you.
MY GRANDFATHER ,GOD BLESS HIS SOUL ,INSPIRE MY WITHDRAWL FOR AFTER THE SLAUGHTER OF DEMOCRACY AT MARY WARD ,THE RACE OF THE CANDIDATE ALLOWED TO SPEAK LOOK LIKE IT WAS THE ISSUES ,AND FOR A MAN WHO LOVE’S THE PEOPLE OF THIS CITY I WAS NOT WILLING TO TO ENTER THAT AVENUE OUT OF RESPECT FOR MY GRAND PA, YES HE IS CALLED (WHITE)..G20 COMING TO TORONTO AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHOWCASE THE CHILDREN OF THE WORLD THAT MAKE UP THIS CITY +THE VICIOUS ATTACK BY SMITHERMAN CAMPAIGN ON APRIL 28 AT MERCATTO LEFT ME NO ALTERNATIVE BUT TO RE-ENTER THE RACE FOR AS IT STAND’S NOW ONLY KEVIN CLARKE CAN BEAT THE CHOSEN MEDIA 6…THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN KEVIN CLARKE AND THE REST IS KEVIN CLARKE DON’T NEED MONEY TO WIN,TRUTH ,HONESTY ,INTERIGY,HARD WORK AND THE HEART OF THE CHILD WILL MAKE (THE MAN ON A MISSION )MIRACLE OF KEVIN CLARKE “REALITY”‘
WITH THE PEOPLE,FOR THE PEOPLE
Kevin. thanks for writing. Good luck with your mayoral campaign.
Nice list (kept coming up in my Google search for the lesser known candidates) I had also composed a list mayors, twitter account and websites and was updating it. I will continue to update as they get their own website or twitter account. http://torontovote.blogspot.com/2010/04/links-to-mayors-websites-and-twitter.html
James,
I had a link to most of the mayoral candidates, but not everyone. So I checked your site and updated a few links today. Thanks.
Got a comment today below this post that Todd Elliott will be running for mayor. Not sure who he is yet…
But if he registers, he’ll be the 27th candidate in the mayoral race.
Today, mayoral candidate Rocco Kusi Achampong came by the Town Crier’s city hall press office with his media relations officer Taylor Scott and Mr. Achampong and I spoke briefly. He is already a registered candidate and is launching his campaign on Feb. 1 at 5:30 pm at U of T’s St. George campus in the Hart House debate room.
Kris:
Thanks for the mention of the names of the Mayoralty candidates. For now, Toronto media considers many of us to be fringe candidates, largely unworthy of mention. Your article is a refreshing example of journalistic professionalism in that it includes all who have willingly placed themselves into contention for this serious position.
I hope to not be a fringe candidate much longer. Of course, that will depend upon my ability to raise campaign funds and generate news, etc.; and I’m certain that applies to many of the others as well.
In the meantime, I invite any of your readers who are curious as to whom Mark State is and what I can offer to them as Mayor of this great city, to check out my website at http://www.mark-state.com.
Mark State
Hi Mark,
I hope people do check out your website, pay attention to all candidates in the mayor’s race and go out and vote on Oct. 25.
Good luck with your campaign. Kris
I got an email at the Town Crier today from JP Pampena “The Man With the Vision” that he will register as a Toronto mayoral candidate on Jan. 13 at 10:15 am. His website.
Today, Jan. 12, Councillor Shelley Carroll who was openly considering a run for mayor instead registered for re-election in Don Valley East Ward 33.