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Mayoral Electograph: The Inauguration
The Mayoral Electograph—appearing occasionally on Torontoist—combines poll data, statistical analysis, whimsy, and personal bias to assess the fortunes of key mayoral candidates in an easy-to-read USA Today–style chart.
Sweaty? Disoriented? Prone to making poor decisions that will affect you for at least the next four years? It’s not just the breakfast tequila—mayoral fever is in the air! With eight and a half months until giddy Torontonians flock poll-wards to elect David Miller’s successor, Torontoist wants to help you make an informed choice. Herewith our inaugural observations…
Adam Giambrone
Electograph Score: 4/10
Can Adam Giambrone leverage his left-wing cred and boy-band good looks into a successful run for the city’s top job? Giambrone is popular in some circles and has strong brand recognition, but his association with the NDP and their union allies could hurt his chances in the wake of last year’s city workers’ strike. Moreover, while bitter memories of the Sleepingfarecollectorgate and OperatorATMgate micro-scandals will likely have faded by October, Giambrone’s chairmanship of the much-maligned TTC could also work against him. Giambrone is media-savvy, turning the inevitable announcement of his candidacy into a multi-week extravaganza of press speculation, and using an erroneous outing in NOW Magazine as an opportunity for a sucralose gush about his affiliation with the gay community. Take that Smitherman!
Giorgio Mammoliti
Electograph Score: .5/10
Imagine a city where kids are locked up after dark, the guy handing you a parking ticket is packing a Glock, and horny tourists while away summer evenings in the hooker district. Welcome to Giorgio Mammoliti’s Toronto! Veteran councillor Mammoliti is a long shot by any standard, a one-time NDPer and Liberal who has drifted to the right in recent years and periodically offers up attention-grabbing ideas for Toronto’s future. While a Mammoliti mayoralty is unlikely, he should make the race more interesting.
Joe Pantalone
Electograph Score: 1/10
November 10, 1980: Torontonians were listening to “Lady” by Kenny Rogers while watching Martin Scorsese’s Raging Bull in theatres. Down south, President-elect Ronald Reagan was preparing to settle into the White House and a comfortable senescence. And in Toronto’s Ward 19, the fifth time was the charm as young Joe Pantalone was elected councillor, a position he continues to hold today. Pantalone considers his experience and ability to work well with mayors as diverse as Mel Lastman and David Miller to be major assets, although his long and cooperative tenure at City Hall also means he was at the table nodding amiably as the City tipped from budgetary stability into fiscal disaster. His supporters call themselves “Pantaloons” and wear giant multi-coloured bloomers to campaign rallies. Well, they should.
Rocco Rossi
Electograph Score: 3/10
Not a public figure until he declared his interest in being mayor of Toronto, Rocco Rossi shot out of the gate like a shiny-pated greyhound after a mechanical rabbit. First to officially register as a candidate, he gave an early glimpse of his platform in a recent speech at the Empire Club. As former national director of the federal Liberal party, Rossi has never held elected office but knows where to find money and has a wide array of potentially influential supporters. Thus far he looks to be staking out the centre-right position, promising to sell off Toronto Hydro, re-examine Transit City, and impose a pay cut on his future elected self. If he can keep the rational right wing of the political spectrum more or less to himself, Rossi might have a chance, but he’ll need to get past the sound-bite stage.
George Smitherman
Electograph Score: 6.5/10
George Smitherman is currently the candidate to beat, with early polls—even those personally conducted by non-candidate Rob Ford—showing him well ahead of the competition. His political experience (he resigned from high-profile roles as Ontario cabinet minister and Deputy Premier to make his play) works both ways, as opponents are already looking to tar him with the sticky brush of the eHealth scandal, which started its tumble from boon to boondoggle on his watch as Health Minister. Ontario’s first openly gay MPP, Smitherman risks losing the bigot community but has said he doesn’t expect his personal life to be an issue in the election. No detailed policies yet, with his website thus far offering hackneyed Obama-isms like “It’s time for a clear, bold set of ideas to strengthen Toronto. It’s time to imagine a better future.” Smitherman recently received the endorsement of the Carpenters Union, so look for his campaign signs to be top-notch.
Sarah Thomson
Electograph Score: .5/10
Another dark horse, Thomson is founder and CEO of Women’s Post Media, which publishes a bi-monthly newspaper/magazine with a claimed circulation of over 350,000. The only woman in a race thus far fueled by testosterone, she says she’ll run a grassroots campaign, meaning she probably hasn’t got much money or much of a shot at winning. Thomson’s website proclaims modestly that she is “not a politician, but a visionary who understands what needs to be done to make Toronto into a great city”. Apart from the standard outsider fist-shaking at City Hall, that relatively right-wing vision includes outsourcing city services to save money and the increasingly popular “privatization of stuff” platform plank. However, if Thomson’s going to play in Rossi’s sandbox, she’s going to need a big shovel. You know, to raise funds. It’s a metaphor, people.
Candidates’ illustrations by Brian McLachlan/Torontoist. Electograph design by Marc Lostracco/Torontoist.