Adam Giambrone, Toronto's youngest councillor and chairman of the TTC, says a mayoral run next year is a “very real possibility,” a move that would make him the first left-leaning candidate to throw his hat in the ring.
“I have not decided yet, but it looks like it is a very real possibility,” Mr. Giambrone told The Globe and Mail, saying he has spent the last two weeks mulling policy and making phone calls to potential supporters. It's the most explicit he's been yet on his political future at City Hall.
He's the first left-of-centre candidate to step forward since Mayor David Miller's bombshell announcement Sept. 25 that he will not seek a third term, fuelling an unofficial race that's been dominated so far by centre- and right-leaning names.
“I am enjoying the work of improving transit as the chair of the TTC and there is always lots to do in Ward 18, but it may be time to take the next step,” Mr. Giambrone said.
The 32-year-old councillor for Davenport joins several sitting councillors eyeing the mayor's chain of office. Only one, Giorgio Mammoliti, has publicly declared that he'll run, though the race isn't official until candidates file their papers beginning Jan. 4.
If they do, they'll have to vacate their seats at the time of the campaign, raising the potential for an infusion of fresh blood on the 44-member council. A competitive race to succeed Mr. Miller could also whet the public's appetite for fresh faces, say campaign organizers of all political stripes.
“An open mayor's race that is competitive will result in increased voter turnout and non-traditional voters going to the polls,” said Conservative strategist Bernie Morton.
Voter interest in change could also spill over to council races, said Sean Hill, who has managed more than 20 campaigns here and elsewhere for progressive candidates.
“There is a greater possibility for knocking off an incumbent, though it is still very difficult.”
In response to a Globe and Mail survey, 36 of 44 councillors said they plan to run again next year. Six were either undecided or non-committal: Case Ootes, Kyle Rae, Mike Feldman, Karen Stintz, Ron Moeser and Michael Walker.
Two councillors, Howard Moscoe and Mike Del Grande, refused to take part. “I'm not at liberty to say right now,” Mr. Del Grande said.
In 2003, with no mayoral incumbent, the election ushered in 13 new faces on council, but only one of them unseated an incumbent.
Mr. Miller's decision to retire from city politics in 2010 caught Mr. Giambrone by surprise, he said. He spent the following few days consulting family. He also talked to the mayor, who advised him to get out, “talk to people,” and to think about why he would run, he said.
Mr. Miller said he won't endorse candidates, but in a recent interview with The Globe, he counted among his great accomplishments transit expansion and the appointment of the “terrific, fantastic” Mr. Giambrone as chairman of the Toronto Transit Commission.
Mr. Giambrone said issues central to his campaign would be the implementation of $10-billion worth of expanded transit, more public engagement in local government, and management of Toronto's “unsustainable” finances.
“Those decisions are going to shape the city in the way few others do because of the magnitude,” he said of future budget shortfalls. “Being at the helm of the city at a time when it's making those decisions ... That's something I want to be a part of.”
