Toronto Centre byelection 2010

MPP George Smitherman vacates seat to run for TO mayor
Prov political parties line up candidates for by-election
By Kris Scheuer
(Click here for candidate profiles.)

A new face will grace Toronto Centre when voters choose a new MPP in Feb. 4 by-election now that current rep George Smitherman has resigned to run for mayor of the city.
The main political parties are quickly lining up candidates.
Myself and colleague Chris Reynolds are working on a stories for the Town Crier newspaper on candidates for the Liberals, Progressive Conservatives, NDP and Greens.
I will be speaking with the Liberal’s candidate former Winnipeg mayor Glen Murray (nominated Jan.6) and I spoke to the PC’s candidate lawyer Pamela Taylor (she ran for them in 2007). My colleague Chris Spencer spoke to the NDP’s candidate poverty activist Cathy Crowe. The Green Party of Ontario nominated Stefan Premdas as their candidate on Jan. 10.
Who would you like to see elected here in the provincial by-election?

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Candidates for Toronto Election 2010

First day to register and dozens sign up early
Some incumbents back again and challengers line up
By Kris Scheuer
(See update here.)

Today, Toronto’s municipal election race officially started with candidates filing nomination papers at city hall.
FAMILIAR FACES
So far, some incumbents have made it clear they want to be re-elected including: councillors Janet Davis (Ward 31), Glenn De Baeremaeker (Ward 38), Mike Del Grande (Ward 39), Paula Fletcher (Ward 30), Adrian Heaps (Ward 35) Norm Kelly (Ward 40), Joe Mihevc (Ward 21), John Parker (Ward 26), Gord Perks (Ward 14), Bill Saundercook (Ward 13), Cesar Palacio (Ward 17) and so far none of them have any challengers.
HOT RACES

Toronto’s next mayor

Who will you vote for when there may be over 40 candidates?
Major players, fringe candidates, unknown names, up-and comers
By Kris Scheuer
(Updated Feb. 5. Frequent updates here.)

Mayor David Miller not seeking re-election in 2010. Who should be the next to run the city?

Who will be the city’s next mayor? As of Feb. 5, two dozen candidates have signed up.
I have started the ball rolling with some who have expressed interest.
Let me know if there are others who you see running or think should run for the city’s top political job.
As well in my eight years writing about politics, I’d say there are two categories of candidates, well maybe four. I will let you decide where you think the mayoralty candidates belong in these categories…
But first  the contenders.
The serious and well known so called “front runners”. These are higher profile candidates.
So far MPP George Smitherman, Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti, and Liberal strategist and fundraiser Rocco Rossi, Councillor Joe Pantalone, Councillor Adam Giambrone have announced they will all run for mayor.
Others who were considering and would have been frontrunner but decided against it are Conservative leader John Tory, current city councillors Adam Vaughan and Shelley Carroll.

Here are a couple of the lesser known people planning to run for mayor…
JP Pampena is running. So what does he stand for? Well check out his site for the full scoop. But here are two of his ideas: set up a Public Expense Registry so we can keep track of how city hall spends our money and try to reduce Toronto’s land transfer tax for first time buyers. It’s my recollection first time buyers are exempt already from this tax.
John Letonja wrote me at the end of September to say he’s running for mayor and he is registered.

Now my perspective on the different categories of candidates. This is an observation having interviewed dozens and dozens of candidates in elections at all levels of government in the past seven years.

Toronto mayor and council candidates

Deputy Mayor Joe Pantalone has expressed interest in running for the top job in 2010.

By Kris Scheuer
(For update, click here.)

For political junkies, like me, elections are a fun time to be a journalist.
There’s change, drama, personality clashes, issues debated, suspense, scandals, disappointment, joy, surprise upsets, unpredictability…
Okay maybe it’s just me, but I know I am not the only one who gets excited by politics and electi
Someone back me up here and write to tell what you think.

So last night, I was at a party with a bunch of left-leaning strategists, politicians, journalists and lobbyists. I am not a card carrying member of any political party and never have been. But it so happened this evening’s party was packed with NDPers.
As I was not working this past weekend,yesterday was my first chance to officially confirm what’s been reported on Friday that Councillor Kyle Rae is out of the game. He won’t run in Toronto Centre-Rosedale in the 2010 municipal race.
I interviewed him today, so click here for a teaser of the full interview I am writing for the Town Crier and will post on my site this Thursday.
But that’s not the only story.
Today Liberal fundraiser and strategist Rocco Rossi made it official that he, along with MPP George Smitherman and councillor Giorgio Mammoliti, is running to be Toronto’s next mayor.
But that’s not all. On a range of rumour all the way to sure bet – others are set to announce their mayoralty hopes too including current city councillors: former journalist Adam Vaughan, Budget Chief Shelley Carroll, Deputy Mayor Joe Pantalone and TTC chair Adam Giambrone.

Toronto’s next mayor will be…

Here’s a prelim list of people who are rumoured for the job
Mayor David Miller won’t run in 2010, so who will?
By Kris Scheuer
(See Dec. 16 update)

Everyone wants to be Toronto’s next mayor. A week ago day, Mayor David Miller announced he will not run again in next year’s election.
Since then it seems half of council and a handful of outside candidates have mused about running.
As a city hall reporter, here the unofficial list (no one can register until Jan.4) of who I have heard may run or people who have already indicated their interest:
Current councillors Shelley Carroll, Denzil Minnan-Wong, Adam Vaughan, Rob Ford, Doug Holyday, Giorgio Mammoliti, Karen Stintz, Adam Giambrone.
Other candidates not at city hall now include former Winnipeg mayor Glen Murray, Toronto-Centre MPP George Smitherman, former Ontario PC leader John Tory, Trinity-Spadina MP Olivia Chow, former city councillor Jane Pitfield.

Who will be next Toronto mayor?

Mayor David Miller won’t run in next election, he announced today
Here’s a list of early possible contenders for 2010 mayoralty race
By Kris Scheuer
(Join the debate below, see update here.)

I attended David Miller’s press conference at 10 am today when he declared he won’t seek a third term as Toronto’s mayor.
For that story, click here.
In the hours that followed myself and colleague Karolyn Coorsh heard about a number of possible candidates for mayor. Keep in mind that we spoke to just a handful of politicians and strategists, so this is just an initial list of contenders. And the next city election is 14 months away.
Tell me if you would vote for any of them or would like to see someone else run instead.
Possible Toronto mayoralty candidates for 201o that were mentioned to me and fellow Town Crier reporter Karolyn today. Keep in mind these names were told to us as possibilities only. No one has officially thrown their hat in the ring, yet.

Miller won’t seek re-election in 2010

Mayor David Miller announces today he won’t run in next election
Wants to spend more time with wife Jill and their kids Julia and Simon
By Kris Scheuer
(Written Sept. 25 for Town Crier.)

David Miller at the Zhong Mua Men Archway opening on Sept. 12. He won't run for a third term as mayor.

The race for mayor is now wide open.
Mayor David Miller announced today he won’t run for re-election in 2010, saying his family played a big part in his decision.
“I will not be seeking a third term as mayor of Toronto,” Miller said with his wife Jill Arthur, son Simon and daughter Julia by his side.
“Both my children were born after I was first elected in 1994,” he said at his city hall office.
“If I were to be re-elected in 2010 and serve until 2014, my daughter would be in university and my son would be about to graduate from high school.”
After his re-election in 2006, Miller made a private decision not to run again in 2010, though he had considered a third run for mayor. 
He met last week with his core campaign team, including John Laschinger and Patrick Gossage. 
“They were excited about the campaign, confident about my record and a message we would present to the people of Toronto,” Miller said. “But after that meeting, I consulted with my family and decided I had to make this announcement today.