Former mayor of Toronto John Tory is endorsing Ana Bailão for the top job days ahead of the upcoming by-election.
Wednesday afternoon, the former city councillor released a six-minute video of Tory endorsing her for the city’s next mayor. This marks the first time in months the former mayor has been seen publicly since he officially resigned back in February after confessing to an affair with a former employee in his office.
“Ana will lead with courage and determination. She will seize opportunities and bring people together and pick the right fights when she has to on behalf of our city,” Tory said in the video.
“…Ana Bailão is the right choice for mayor. She is the leader who can deliver on the promise of Toronto. On the promise that is Toronto,” he added.
It doesn’t come as a surprise to many that Tory would endorse Bailão as he picked her to be his deputy mayor in 2017.
Bailão served on city council from 2010 to 2022, where she was a dedicated advocate for creating more affordable housing. In May of last year, Bailão announced that she would not seek re-election in the municipal election. However, in March 2023 she announced she was re-entering politics to run for mayor.
Bailão says her main priorities as mayor are to fix services, build housing, and make life more affordable. Her full platform can be found here.
In addition to Tory, Bailão has received a number of endorsements from past and current politicians, including Toronto’s Acting Mayor Jenniffer McKelvie and city councillors Paul Ainslie, Shelley Carroll, Nick Mantas, Chris Moise, Frances Nunziata and James Pasternak.
The Toronto by-election is set for Monday, June 26.
