After pledging to stay out of Toronto mayoral election, Doug Ford again weighs in

Doug Ford. Image credit: Twitter @fordnation

Toronto/CMEDIA: Ontario Premier Doug Ford reportdly reverses his earlier decision to stay out of the Toronto mayoral race and again weighed in.

“I’m staying out of that election,” Ford was reported saying on March 22, when asked by a reporter about the growing number of candidates in the race. “It doesn’t matter who gets elected,” Ford added. “Good luck to all of them.”

But on Friday during an unrelated news conference in Oshawa, when asked about the city’s mayoral byelection, Ford said Friday “We need someone that has experience dealing with crime..that has actually run an operation with a number of employees…that knows all of Toronto.”

This is not the first time Ford has said to Toronto voters what kind of mayor he wants them to choose, although just a few weeks ago, the premier professed neutrality in the race.

Less than a week later, Ford was taking sides.

When Ford’s spokesperson Caitlin Clark was asked if it is appropriate for the premier to take sides in a mayoral election,a one-line statement was provided by Clark: “The premier said he will work with anyone and that’s what he intends to do.”

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