Tory confirms he will not run for mayor
Posted August 6, 2010 9:01 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
TORONTO, Ont. – On-and-off mayoral candidate John Tory confirmed he is not going to enter Toronto’s mayoral race.
Tory issued a statement Thursday night, and told his supporters that despite many people urging him to reconsider his original decision not to run, he would not change his mind.
However, he thanked the public for having faith in him.
Tory ran unsuccessfully against Mayor David Miller in 2003.
He is currently the chairman of the Toronto City Summit Alliance, and hosts a show on Toronto radio station Newstalk 1010.
Tory said as tempting as another run for Toronto mayor was, he decided there were other ways for him to serve the city.
“I just determined I could do that as a private citizen — as head of the City Summit Alliance and all of the different charitable community activities — as well as I could being in public life, so I stand by the decision that I made in January,” Tory told 680News.
He also said he appreciates all the support from people who urged him to jump into the race, but he wasn’t about to let it go to his head.
“I’ve learned in politics that you can be a hero one day, and a bomb the next. I’ve also learned that people are very kind,” Tory said.
Current mayor contender Rocco Rossi admitted Tory could have complicated his campaign had the former Ontario Progressive Conservative leader entered the race.
“There is no question that John Tory and I share a lot of the same political space and philosophical space,” Rossi said.
A Tory campaign was also expected to steal support from mayoral candidate Rob Ford.
