Doug Ford Jr. Rob’s older brother, Ward 2 councillor and namesake of the late Doug Sr., the early Reform-a-Tory and Mike Harris-era MPP. The brains behind the operation.
Nick Kouvalis Ford tough guy, dirty trickster and former campaign co-chair who was in and out as chief of staff in a flash and has since been tasked with setting up a permanent org for all things Ford, aka Ford Nation. He’s co-principal of polling firm Campaign Research with Richard Ciano, exec director of the Manning Centre for Democracy, the right-wing think tank headed by former Reform leader Preston Manning.
Mark Towhey Director of policy and strategic planning political mercenary with a background in crisis management who’s done work in war zones for the DND, RCMP and UN.
Adrienne Batra Edgy Ford press secretary and lieutenant boasts hard-right Tory connections from out west. She’s a former director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation in Manitoba and staffer in the Saskatchewan Party.
Amir Remtulla Kouvalis’s replacement as chief of staff came to Ford’s circle via Case Ootes, the former Lastman deputy and Ford’s go-to guy outside City Hall. Duties: good cop routine.
Frances Nunziata The girl next door and council’s speaker comes from Ford’s neck of the woods on the York-Etobicoke border. Delivered important votes during the election.
Doug Holyday Ford’s deputy was a rare ally when Rob was just a loudmouth from the sticks and losing votes 44 to 1 at council. They go way back – Holyday gave the old man, Doug Ford Sr., his start in politics when Holyday was mayor of the ‘Coke.
Mike Del Grande The budget chief who keeps warning of the coming “tsunami” is a former “reform” separate school board trustee. He shares Ford’s penchant for off-colour remarks.
Jim Flaherty The federal Finance minister is an old family friend and conduit to Kouvalis, who worked for Flaherty’s wife, MPP Christine Elliott, when she was vying for the Tory leadership.
Case Ootes The head of Ford’s transition team and newly appointed chair of the TCHC board has connections to the old Lastman crowd and the Leaside conservatives Doug Sr. used to run with when he was at Queen’s Park.
Gordon Chong Another transition team member and throwback to Lastman’s North York council days, part of Toronto Transit Infrastructure Ltd., the group spearheading Ford’s public-private subway plans for Sheppard.
Michael Thompson Scarborough linchpin chair of the Economic Development Committee also serves on the mayor’s executive committee, Police Services Board and Build Toronto.
John Capobianco City Hall lobbyist, Etobicoke boy and former Canadian Alliance higher-up who defected from the Rocco Rossi camp partway through the election run-up served as adviser to Harris-era education minister Dave Johnson.
Mike Harris Former Preem turned Tory power broker is a Johnny-come-lately to the Ford family. Helped organize Harmony dinner to retire Robo’s six-figure campaign debt to get in the mayor’s good books.
enzom@nowtoronto.com
