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John Tory will not run for mayor of Toronto in 2026

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Former Toronto Mayor John Tory, who resigned in 2023 after an inappropriate relationship with a staffer was revealed, will not be throwing his hat in the ring for the upcoming municipal election.

Tory confirmed the news in a social media post, saying he didn’t lack the desire or energy but did not want to put his family and the people he cares about “through the inevitable attacks on me and my personal life that we’ve started to see before I’ve even announced my intentions.”

In a interview with CityNews, Tory said he was heading in the direction of running. “But then I had a sit down, and said, ‘Okay, I’m going to do this,’ and the repercussions for people close to me were such that I just couldn’t carry forward.”

He was first elected as Toronto’s mayor in 2014 and was re-elected again in 2018 and in 2022. He resigned in Feb. 2023 after admitting to a relationship with a former office member.

Tory said at the time he had an affair with the woman during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I held myself to account. I resigned so I’m not excusing that but I think a lot of people have had relationships in the office that they didn’t report, and that’s a relationship that still exists today,” said Tory.

Multiple polls showed a tight race between him and current Mayor Olivia Chow if he were to run for Toronto’s top position.

Chow has also not declared whether she will be running for reelection. In reaction to his decision, she thanked Tory for his many years of public service. “He loved this city and of course, it’s his own decision … we’re very grateful for his service.”

Councillor Brad Bradford is the only candidate so far to announce their intention to run in the upcoming election. It is scheduled for Oct. 26, 2026.

In his statement, Tory said he has no plans to endorse anyone at this point but wouldn’t hesitate to do so.

toronto.citynews.ca

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