Adam Vaughan Officially Launches Election Campaign

He was a friend to the late urban visionary Jane Jacobs and now that he’s officially thrown his hat in the ring to become a city councillor Adam Vaughan is hoping he can put her common-sense approach to city planning into practice.

On Thursday the former CityNews Political Specialist kicked off his campaign to represent the downtown ward of Trinity-Spadina. He’s hoping to fill the seat at City Hall that Olivia Chow left vacant when she made the move to Ottawa.

“I want to restore the public interest at City Hall, the neighbourhood interest,” he told his supporters.

Journalism and politics run in Vaughan’s blood. His late father Colin kept politicos at City Hall in check as a reporter and also served as a city councillor himself.

While this is Vaughan’s first attempt at winning the confidence of voters, he already has some strong support for his political efforts, including that of Jacobs in her final days, journalist and activist June Callwood and one of Toronto’s most beloved mayors David Crombie.

“The last substantive conversation I had with her was about Adam Vaughan,” Jacobs’ son Jim said of his mother. “She was pondering what we should be doing next to help push this thing along.”

While there’s no incumbent, there is still stiff competition in Helen Kennedy, who has the backing of the N.D.P.

During his time as a reporter, Adam was known for dogging politicians to deliver straight answers and when asked how he’ll handle it if someone pulls an “Adam” on him he said: “It’s part of the game.”

“It’s time that all of us as professionals re-engage in protecting the city and I think journalists have a role to play. I’ve always thought that.”

“It’s about making your neighbourhood, making your communities a better place to live,” he said. “My father did it. My mother did it. My grandparents did it and I’ll be damned if I stand by and watch this city change in a way that my kids can’t live and love it the way I do.”