Doug Ford enters Toronto mayoral race as Rob Ford drops out

By Tori Floyd | Daily Brew 

 

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford leaves his office at city hall to take part in a vote on July 9, 2014. 

(CP Photo)

 

One hour before the deadline for finalizing the candidates in the Toronto mayoral race, Rob Ford has withdrawn his candidacy, and Doug Ford has stepped in to take his place.

Rob Ford will instead be running in Ward 2, where his nephew Michael Ford was running. Michael Ford has also withdrawn his nomination.
Jeff Silverstein, communications director for Ford, arrived at city hall to file papers for Doug Ford to be mayor, but media report that those papers were not currently in order.
Shortly after, Silverstein returned and filed the completed papers for Doug Ford to run for mayor of Toronto, according to local media watching the event unfold:
His candidacy was officially confirmed on the City of Toronto election website as one of the 66 candidates running for mayor at 1:20 p.m.
Rob Ford issued a statement from his hospital room in support of his brother running for mayor:
Ford also said that it was an honour and priviledge to have served the city as mayor, and wished anyone else facing a serious health challenge strength and courage.
Rob Ford will remain mayor of Toronto until November 30, and his successor is sworn in the following day.
Doug Ford told the Toronto Sun earlier on Friday that the mayor could be facing "a surgery and chemotherapy and could be on his back for six to eight weeks."
At the time, Doug Ford said that a decision had not yet been made, and that the family was consulting with doctors to determine the best course of action.

 

Doug Ford attends a debate where Rob Ford is speaking September 5, 2014. (CP Photo)

 

Rob Ford was admitted to hospital earlier this week after he reported severe abdominal pain. It was confirmed as a tumour, and Ford is currently undergoing a biopsy to see if the tumour is cancerous. The results of that biopsy are expected next week.
Discovery of the tumour came just over two months after Ford returned to office from a stint in rehab that followed a scandal-plagued year in which he was forced to admit to using crack cocaine in a "drunken stupor," was caught on video and audio recordings in profanity-laced rants, and became the target of an ongoing police investigation.
Doug Ford's move to join the mayoral race brought on an expected amount of jokes and ridicule on Twitter:
An official update on the future of the campaign from Jeff Silverstein is expected later this afternoon.

With files from CBC, The Canadian Press