Toronto crack-smoking mayor in re-election dead heat

OTTAWA, Canada – Toronto’s crack-smoking Mayor Rob Ford is in a dead heat with two other contenders in the Canadian city’s upcoming municipal election, according to a new poll released Wednesday, July 23.

The latest survey of voters’s intentions by Forum Poll showed Ford has held onto his core support of 27%, despite revelations that he smoked crack while in office, and a two-month break from campaigning to enter rehab.

Former Conservative leader of Ontario province and radio host John Tory and Olivia Chow, the widow of Canada’s former leftist opposition leader Jack Layton, had 28% and 29% support, respectively.

“It appears that Rob Ford is not going away anytime soon, but neither has he been able to maintain his pre-rehab levels of popularity, even among the demographic groups we know are sympathetic to him,” Forum Research president Lorne Bozinoff said in a statement.

Bozinoff noted that many voters continue to demand Ford’s resignation, suggesting he is not likely to see any gains in support.

Meanwhile, support for Chow has plummeted since the start of the campaign.

The polling firm surveyed 1063 randomly selected Torontonians on July 21. The results are considered accurate within a margin of three percent.

The Toronto election is scheduled for October 27. – Rappler.com