Crack-smoking Toronto mayor seeks re-election

Toronto mayor Rob Ford has put his name on the ballot to run for another term.

Ford was the first candidate to show up at City Hall when registration opened yesterday for the city’s municipal election on Oct 2.

The conservative mayor of Canada’s largest city has said he would run again, even after admitting last year that he had smoked crack “in a drunken stupor”.

Ford has faced intense pressure to resign over his drug use and revelations of other erratic behaviour that have embarrassed many Canadians.

The Toronto City Council has stripped Ford of most of his powers, but he continues to receive support from some in the city’s more conservative suburbs.

Ford admitted his drug use after Toronto police announced in October they had obtained a copy of a video of him appearing to smoke from a crack pipe. News reports of the video first emerged in May, but Ford at first denied its existence.

Court documents released last month detail police wiretaps of alleged gang members who spoke about delivering drugs to the mayor and having pictures of him using drugs.

The wiretaps are evidence in the case against Ford’s friend Alexander Lisi, who faces trial on drug and extortion charges. The mayor has not been charged.

In the weeks since the revelations, Ford has said he has quit drinking and adopted a healthier lifestyle.

In 2010, Ford gave up his seat as a city councillor to run for mayor. He won with 47% of the popular vote, defeating former provincial cabinet minister George Smitherman and former deputy mayor Joe Pantalone. Ford replaced Miller, who did not seek re-election after serving two terms in the mayor’s office.