City councillor Michael Ford to run as PC candidate in York South-Weston
Posted April 3, 2022 4:39 pm.
Last Updated April 3, 2022 5:18 pm.
The Ford count at Queen’s Park could increase to two after the next provincial election.
City councillor Michael Ford has been nominated as the Progressive Conservative candidate in the provincial riding of York South-Weston.
Ford, the nephew of Premier Doug Ford, has been the councillor for Ward 1, Etobicoke North at City Hall since 2016.
“Michael is one the hardest working people I know. He gets things done and fights for the people he represents every step of the way,” Ford said in a statement released Sunday afternoon which made no mention of their familial relationship. “He’s proven himself as a strong advocate for his constituents over the last two terms serving on city council and will continue doing so at Queen’s Park.”
Ford got his start in politics in 2014 as a TDSB trustee before winning a by-election in the riding of Ward 2 Etobicoke North following the death of his uncle Rob Ford in 2016. In 2018, he captured 42 per cent of the vote in Ward 1 Etobicoke North, which was created following Premier Ford’s controversial decision to slash the number of city council seats to 25 from 47 in order to match federal and provincial boundaries.
The Liberals and NDP have split representation in the riding over the last six provincial elections. Faisal Hassan, the Ontario NDP’s critic for youth opportunities, is the incumbent, having defeated Mark DeMontis by just 1,100 votes in 2018. That was the closest the Conservatives came to winning the riding since it was formed in 1999.
Nadia Guerrera is the provincial Liberal nominee.
Federally, the riding has been a Liberal stronghold since 1979 with NDP Mike Sullivan the only non-Liberal to win in the last 14 election cycles.
Ford says he will donate his salary as a city councillor to local community-based organizations while he campaigns for a provincial seat.
