Rob Ford Withdraws From Toronto Mayor’s Race

Toronto mayor Rob Ford, who drew international media attention after being caught smoking crack and who has since become a laughingstock, has dropped out of the race for Mayor of Toronto.

As of this post, it’s unclear what motivated Rob Ford to drop out of the race. He’s spent the last few days in the hospital for what is, according to this Inquisitr report, a likely tumor, and it may very well be that Ford is dropping out of the race for health reasons. According to The Toronto Sun, he could be facing surgery, chemotherapy, and several weeks of recovery. Dr. Brett Belchetz told The Toronto Sun that Ford is going to be unable to work for some time.

“At the bare minimum, it would have to take him out of the campaign for some period of time. I don’t think there is anyway it can be business as usual for at least the next couple of days or even the next few weeks.”

As of this post, Rob Ford’s diagnosis and condition are unknown. Since his initial admission to the hospital for severe stomach pains on Wednesday, Ford has been diagnosed with a tumor and has been moved to Mount Sinai Hospital. A biopsy has been done, but results won’t be available for a week, according to CTV News.

However, this move does not mean that Rob Ford’s career in politics is over. Furthermore, it doesn’t even eliminate the possibility of a man named Ford being elected the next mayor of Toronto. Almost as soon as he dropped out of the race, Rob Ford filed paperwork to run for a spot on the City Council — the spot currently held by his nephew. Meanwhile, Rob’s brother Doug has filed paperwork to be on the ballot for mayor, according to CTV News.

Ford issued a statement to the media, via Canada’s National Post, stating that he needs to focus his attention on his health.

“Now I could be facing a battle of my lifetime. With the advice of my family and doctors I know I need to focus on getting better. There is much work to be done and I can’t give it my all at this point in time.”

Since admitting last year to smoking crack “while in a drunken stupor,” Rob Ford has continued to be little more than the source of late-night comedy routines. He has completed a stint in rehab, been laughed out of the room at a debate, and faced multiple scandals for his ridiculous behavior.

The Toronto mayoral election, without Rob Ford, will take place on October 27.

[Image courtesy of: Michael Murray]