Olivia Chow ‘considering’ a run for mayor of Toronto

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford should be afraid. Very very afraid.

NDP MP Olivia Chow — widow of the late Jack Layton — is considering a run for the mayoralty of Canada's largest city. While rumours about her interest have swirled for some time now, on Wednesday she actually said the words.

"I love this city. I love to come home to Toronto, but what I'm going to be doing, I don't know yet. I'm listening to people's advice. There are a lot of issues we need to tackle, and I'll listen very carefully," she told CBC's George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight during an interview about 'Jack', the made-for-TV biopic about her late husband which airs next week.

[ Related: Jack Layton movie airs next week; see the preview ]

"Jack wanted to be mayor. Maybe I want to be a mayor, too, but maybe not. Perhaps I won't be able to do it.

"I am considering it."

All indications are that if Chow — a former city councillor — runs, she would beat the current mayor handily. According to the results of a Forum Research poll published in CP24 in October, Torontonians are tired of Ford's antics.

"In a one-on-one matchup between Ford, who has said repeatedly he intends to seek re-election, and MP Olivia Chow, the federal politician would garner 49 per cent of the vote, while Ford would pick up 34 per cent," notes the article.

"People who identified themselves as provincial NDP, Green and Liberal supporters, transit users and residents of the former City of Toronto or East York said they are more likely to vote for Chow."

[ Related: Olivia Chow announces she has Ramsay Hunt syndrome, face partially paralyzed ]

The next Toronto municipal election is scheduled for October 2014.

(Photo courtesy of Canadian Press)

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