Giambrone became a mayoral candidate Feb 1
He remains a councillor and TTC chair throughout campaign
By Kris Scheuer
(Written Feb. 1 for Town Crier. Feb. 10 UPDATE when he resigned.)
Adam Giambrone is running for mayor. Photo by Francis Crescia/Town Crier.
Councillor Adam Giambrone made it official Feb. 1 by becoming a candidate in the Toronto mayor’s race.
Giambrone was at the Town Crier’s head office the same afternoon to meet with the newspaper and multicultural media partners for a sit down editorial board meeting. Read that story.
This is expected to be one of Giambrone’s first interviews on the day he announced his candidacy for mayor.
The 32-year-old councillor has also booked the Rival nightclub for Feb. 1 for an evening of “celebration” beginning at 5:30 p.m. with him speaking between 6-6:30 p.m., according to his city hall office.
Giambone also released a tongue and cheek YouTube video on how to prepare to run for mayor. In the video he’s seen in a suit doing push ups, running stairs, giving himself a pep talk in the mirror and holding Mayor David Miller’s 2003 mayoral symbol the broom over his head before rejecting the prop.
Giambrone, represents Davenport Ward 18 and was first elected to city council in 2003. He has served as the National President of the New Democratic Party of Canada from 2001–2006. He has a BA in Anthropology and African Studies from McGill University and is fluent in French and Arabic.
Kris Scheuer 
Feb. 10 mayoral hopeful Adam Giambrone held a press conference to apologize for his affair(s) with women other than his live-partner Sarah. He plans to step out of mayoral race, but by end of today officially remains a registered candidate.
The issue with me is not his sexual orientation. The issue is his lack of leadership. The TTC is rudderless and he refuses to admit to some mistakes.
It’s a matter of maturity. Lack of judgement. I would certainly not want him to be in charge of our city…..I would feel uncomfortable having him make decisions at the head of a mega city budget. He is toast.
Coun.Adam Giambrone shows immaturary starting with that You tube clip. He is not doing a very good job with TTC. That don’t blame be statent did not show me leadership.
His photo op with his live in companion for whatever his motives were. And topping it off is that the lack of judgement not only having an affair but leaving a text message trail.
Too bad.
Nussy,
there are a lot of issues facing councillor/TTC chair Adam Giambrone’s mayoral campaign tonight not the least his affair and separately people’s anger at the TTC.
In terms of his motives to have a photo op with his live in companion last week. I can’t say. But remember that NOW magazine’s article falsely saying Giambrone was gay? Then a lot of press that he in fact was not and was in a long term relationship with Sarah McQuarrie? This was all before he officially registered for mayor. So he may have always planned to involve his partner Sarah in his public campaign, but she became part of the news because of printed media reports wrongly identifying him as gay.
Coun.Adam Giambrone admitted he had an “inappropriate relationship” with university student Kristen Lucas at the same time as being in a committed relationship with live-in partner Sarah McQuarrie. Media at city hall are speculating this will end his bid to be mayor of Toronto, but his campaign manager John Laschinger has told various media outlets that Giambrone’s not withdrawing as a candidate.
How will this impact his campaign? Do you care he may have had an “affair” with another woman?
Or do you think other factors will pose more of a threat to his campaign, as TTC chair, such as TTC customer service and fare hikes.
Or does he have enough else going for him to overcome these issues?
What do you think?
Rocco Rossi has to raise his profile across the city, for sure.
In many ways George Smitherman is the front runner right now. But the election is Oct. 25 so we will see how the race shapes up. Lots can happen between now and then.
In 2003, Barbara Hall was the frontrunner and she came in third and David Miller was third or fourth in a pack with Hall, John Tory, John Nuziata and Tom Jakobek and we all know that Miller ended up winning with what I consider a very smooth campaign.
I am not happy with the way he blames staff for all the ills of the TTC. ” Not my fault” he told the Star.
At the present time Smitherman is on the top of my list. I still don’t know enough about Rocco. And I would never vote for Miller lite the deputy mayor.
I get what you are saying. I was not as turned off by Giambrone’s YouTube video as many have been. I took it as a tongue-in-cheek way to announce he was running before he registered. But I know some see it as immature.
Remaining as the head of TTC allows him a perfect platform during the campaign to raise his profile and remain in the public eye. But it could backfire as not everyone is happy with the TTC right now.
And yes it is early in the mayor’s race.
So who do you like for mayor?
I think all the “big name” candidates for mayor have declared by now. But a few people are mentioning Rob Ford may run.
I know its still early but I already crossed Giambone off my list.
He wants to remain head of the TTC and yet he certainly did not make it run better. But he blames staff according to the Star.
He makes that juvinile you tube video and the announces his intentions to run with hip hop music in front of squeeling teenagers.
This is not the image of the person I want to represent me.