Toronto Mayor John Tory to seek 3rd term in October election

John Tory confirmed Friday he'll run for a third term as Toronto's mayor in the next municipal election, making him the first high-profile politician to announce their candidacy.

Official registration opens in May.

"I am running for Mayor for another term because I believe Toronto needs an experienced leader who will continue to work hard with both the federal and provincial governments to ensure Toronto stays on track, and continue to work on making Toronto a more livable and more affordable place to live, to work and build a future," Tory said in a statement.

He said he made the decision to seek re-election after discussing it with his family and "receiving their blessing and support."

The announcement brings to a close months of speculation about whether he would run for re-election this fall.

Tory says he's running againto help steer the city out of the pandemic.

"This is about protecting our progress and making sure Toronto comes out of this pandemic stronger than ever. That's what I've done every day as Mayor - including over the last two years confronting COVID-19 - and that's what I am going to do if I am fortunate enough to be re-elected again in October."

Tory says this may be his final term if re-elected

Tory was first elected in 2014 with 40 per cent of the vote, replacing former mayor Rob Ford.

That tumultuous campaign saw him face up against now-Premier Doug Ford, who opted to run in his younger brother's place following Rob's cancer diagnosis, and Olivia Chow.

In 2018, Tory won his second term by capturing more than 60 per cent of the vote (though just 41 per cent of eligible Torontonians cast a ballot in that election, according to city statistics.)

Despite the strong show of support, Tory's time in office has not been without controversy.

Most recently, he faced sharp criticism for the city's handling of the homelessness crisis, after officials and police some dressed in riot gear dismantled several encampments last summer.

Tory defended the operation, calling the encampments unsafe and illegal, but promised a review into what took place.

Deputy Mayor Denzil Minnan-Wong says Tory is "doing a good job" and he understands why he would want to continuefor a third term.

"I think John's the right guy to lead the city for the next four years," Minnan-Wong said.

"There are a number of challenges that the city faces and a number of projects that remain unfinished. The city is concerned about affordable housing and I know that the mayor has introduced a number of projects that haven't gotten to the place that they need to be," he added.

If re-elected, Tory said this will likely be his last term.

"I'll be lucky if the voters entrust me with a third term and give me the privilegeof having this job for another four years [but]beyond that I think there will be other things that I might do," he told reporters at a different announcement Friday.

The municipal election is scheduled forOct. 24.