Molly Dog is among the candidates who want to replace John Tory, the Toronto mayor who resigned in February over an affair.
More than 100 candidates, including a former police chief, a comedian and a dog, are vying for the chance to become mayor of Toronto, Canada’s largest city. The registration deadline is May 12 and the mayoral race will be held at the end of June.
One of the last candidates to register was 7-year-old Molly, a Russian dog adopted from a rescue station. Molly’s owner, Toby Heaps, said Molly’s biggest concern is that the city uses salt to melt ice on the roads in the winter, which causes pain in her feet. Heaps said if Molly wins, city council meetings will be “more civil.”
“When there are animals in the meeting room, people tend to behave more politely,” he said.
Another candidate is 18-year-old Meir Straus. Straus emphasized that he is the youngest candidate so he is in good health. He claimed that he could not be involved in an adultery scandal because he was not married.
John Tory, the three-term mayor, resigned suddenly in February after admitting to having an affair with a former employee. His deputy, Jennifer McKelvie, is serving as interim mayor and is not running.
Olivia Chow, who came third in the 2014 mayoral election won by the Conservatives, is considered the current front-runner. Other potential candidates include former legislator Mitzie Hunter, council members Ana Bailao, Brad Bradford and Josh Matlow, and former police chief Mark Saunders.
Doug Ford, the premier of Ontario, who has said he does not give election advice or comment, implicitly supported Saunders.
“We need someone with experience in dealing with crime. I think we need someone who knows how to organize and has experience in personnel management. “We need someone who knows Toronto inside out, not just a small area they represent, but understands everything about Toronto,” Ford said.
Leading candidates are campaigning to change Toronto’s transportation system, address the cost of living crisis and reform infrastructure. Early voting will begin June 8-13. Election day is June 26.
