Ford says mayoral election will be ‘bloodbath’

Mayor Rob Ford expects the next mayoral election will be a “bloodbath” — but he’s confident his fiscal record and ambitious subway plan will overshadow the many controversies that have dogged his first term.

“[Political opponents] are coming after me and I’m sure they’re going to bring up everything, but I’ve got a great track record. I’ve saved the tax payers a billion dollars…” he told reporters at city hall Monday.

“Bring it on, I just can’t wait to get at it and start debating these people.”

Ford says he’s prepared to go to war to earn a second term.

“It’s going to be a bloodbath…If the benches clear, the benches clear, and the gloves come off,” he added.

So far, Ford, former councillor David Soknacki and TTC Chair Karen Stintz are the only people who have made clear their intentions to run in the 2014 election. However, Ford said Monday he’s heard names of others who also plan to join the race. He did not elaborate.

And while Stintz’s platform hasn’t been rolled out, Mayor Ford has already made it clear that he has ambitious subway plans that will be the cornerstone of his campaign.

Extending the Sheppard line is his first priority – a plan that Ford said Prime Minister Harper backs.

“I want to connect McCowan to Don Mills, and then hopefully Finch, and then the downtown relief line,” he said.

“The Prime Minister was sitting beside me and said ‘you’ve got to connect this (Don Mill to McCowan) Rob.’ ”

The PM hasn’t committed any funding, but Ford stressed that Harper is backing his vision.

“He said, ‘connect that’ when we sat down last time to discuss funding for the Scarborough subway.”

Ford also said Monday that he wants to repair the Gardiner, rather than have it torn down, and said at this time he’s not interested in resurrecting the casino debate.

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