Toronto Mayor Ford has taken a hit in the polls as the mayor takes a leave of absence following the latest allegations of substance abuse and lewd behaviour.

A new poll conducted by Forum Research finds that 25 per cent of respondents said they would vote for Rob Ford in the upcoming municipal election, down from 29 per cent in April 15.

The poll, which was conducted a day after Ford announced his plans to temporarily leave office to deal with his substance abuse problems, also finds that 63 per cent of Toronto voters think Rob Ford should resign from office.

Dr. Lorne Bozinoff, Forum Research president, said the numbers reflect a growing intolerance of Ford’s public antics, even among core Ford Nation supporters.

“It appears there is finally a limit to what Ford Nation will stand for, and the mayor may have passed it,” Bozinoff said in a statement.

The poll notes that Ford also recorded the highest negative score, with 52 per cent of voters saying they would never vote for him.

Meanwhile, Toronto voters showed strong support for Ford’s decision to seek treatment, with 87 per cent of respondents saying they approve his decision to seek treatment, while 32 per cent said they would vote for Ford if he attends rehab and gets clean.

Chow takes lead in mayoral race

The latest scandal also had an effect on the mayoral race with the latest numbers suggesting that Olivia Chow would win 33 per cent of the vote if the election were held this week, followed closely by John Tory (27%), Rob Ford (22%), Karen Stintz (6%) and David Soknacki (5%).

The poll notes that mayoral candidate John Tory saw a jump in approval ratings in wake of the Ford scandal, increasing from 65 per cent to 69 per cent, while Olivia Chow’s numbers remained relatively stable from 60 per cent to 58 per cent.

Bozinoff notes that the latest Ford scandal could end up helping Tory’s campaign in long-run.

“If he (Ford) doesn’t rejoin the race, John Tory is the beneficiary, as Ford voters will not vote for Chow,” Bozinoff said.

“Her support of focused at the left hand of the political spectrum, whereas Tory appeals across the middle,” he added.

The telephone poll surveyed 888 eligible Toronto voters and is considered accurate to within three percentage points, 19 times out of 20.