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Glenn De Baeremaeker bows out of Toronto election, saying a win is a 'long shot' with fewer wards

Glenn De Baeremaeker bows out of Toronto election, saying a win is a 'long shot' with fewer wards

Glenn De Baeremaeker, the veteran Scarborough councillor, says he won't run in the upcoming election because the redrawn ward boundaries would make a win unlikely.

De Baeremaeker, one of the biggest supporters of the controversial Scarborough subway project, currently represents Ward 38 — Scarborough-Centre. However, if Premier Doug Ford's plan to slash city council by aligning the ward map with provincial boundaries is approved, and survives a court challenge, De Baeremaeker would likely have to run against another current councillor.

De Baeremaeker issued a news release Monday saying he sees his chances of winning as a "long shot."

"I think I might have been able to pull it off — but at what cost to family, friends and supporters?" he said in the statement.

While it's unclear where De Baeremaeker would run — applications will remain open until September as a result of Ford's change — an analysis of the changing maps shows it's possible the councillor would have squared off against Coun. Michael Thompson.

As the election draws closer, a number of other councillors are in the same position as De Baeremaeker.

Toronto's election is set for October 22.