In the month since candidate filings began on Jan. 4, the Toronto mayor's race has taken partial shape. Six major candidates have ruled themselves in, and a few potential heavy hitters have taken themselves out.

Here are the five of the leading candidates currently seeking to become elected mayor in the Oct. 25 vote to replace Mayor David Miller, who decided last fall not to seek a third term.

Keep in mind that a serious mayoral campaign is expected to cost about $1.5 million to operate. Those thinking of joining the fray have until 2 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 10 to file their nomination papers.

It costs $200 to run for mayor -- $100 for a city council or school board seat. This City of Toronto page has the full list of candidates.

Who's In

George Smitherman:

An Angus-Reid poll conducted for the Toronto Star and published on Jan. 14 puts the former Toronto Centre Liberal MPP and deputy premier as the frontrunner, with the support of 44 per cent of decided voters.

The online poll conducted between Jan. 8 and 11 had a sample size of 503 and a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.

However, former mayor Barbara Hall led the early polls in the 2003 mayoral race. Earlier in his career, Smitherman was once Hall's chief of staff.

Smitherman gained a powerful ally: Ralph Lean, who chaired fundraising efforts for outgoing Mayor David Miller's 2006 campaign. Lean, a Conservative, told the Star he thinks Smitherman is a "strong fiscal conservative" whom he respects.

Smitherman also has the support of Jeff Bangs, who ran the 2004 provincial Progressive Conservative leadership campaign of John Tory. Bangs will run Smitherman's campaign.

The 45-year-old Smitherman, known as "furious George" for his combative style, hasn't released much in the way of policy yet. He has said he wants to tour the city's 44 wards first.

But in a Dec. 11 speech to the Toronto Board of Trade, Smitherman said he wants to cut the "growth gap" between Toronto and the rest of the GTA.

Quote: "I'm a truck driver's son who became a small businessman ... a gay man who gained acceptance because of this city's enormous generosity. But most important of all, I am a Torontonian. And I know our city can be a great economic power, provided we summon equally great political will."

Rocco Rossi:

Rossi's last job was as national director of the Liberal Party of Canada, where he has been credited with renovating the party's fundraising machinery. He has also worked in business and served as the CEO of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario.

The Angus Reid poll gave him 15 per cent support.

Rossi, 47, has no experience in elected office. But he was the campaign manager for John Tory's mayoral bid in 2003, where Tory placed second to Miller.

With Toronto facing crippling budget problems, Rossi said he would volunteer a pay cut of 10 per cent and then freeze his pay for four years. He would encourage councillors to roll back a salary increase they had voted themselves.

Rossi has spoken about selling off assets such as Toronto Hydro to improve the city's balance sheet. He favours building a pedestrian underpass to the Billy Bishop airport and would review the Transit City rapid transit plan, pointing to the cost overruns and delays that plagued the St. Clair Avenue West streetcar line.

He is also in favour of mayors serving no more than two terms.

Quote: "Some people have said 'Rocco Who.' At the end of this campaign, what's important is Rocco Why, Rocco How, Rocco What and Rocco When. And that's going to make the difference."

Joe Pantalone:

Coun. Pantalone (Ward 19, Trinity-Spadina) is presenting himself as the candidate of experience, having served on city council for 28 years, including six as deputy mayor.

He noted after filing his nomination papers on Jan. 13 that if elected, he will be the first Toronto mayor whose mother tongue is not English.

The Angus Reid poll gave him five per cent support.

Pantalone also positioned himself as the diversity candidate, saying the city doesn't do enough to harness its diversity to conduct business with the rest of the world.

As a deputy mayor, Pantalone is obviously close in philosophy to Miller, although he suggested he would have a collegial style as leader. Miller was seen as vengeful towards those who didn't share his views.

Pantalone also warned against drastic changes in direction.

Quote: "When you have such an organism (i.e. Toronto) that works ... you have to treat it with care. You cannot bring a baseball bat ... and start smashing away, because it means smashing people and services. This is an organism, this is a beautiful flower that needs to be nurtured."

Giorgio Mammoliti:

Coun. Mammoliti (Ward 7, York West), who filed on Jan. 5, is basing his campaign that big ideas are needed to help Toronto deal with its chronic budget problems.

He would push for a casino on the waterfront and a lottery to raise revenue for the city. In 2007, he talked about bringing in the army to battle an outburst of gun violence in his ward. He also once talked about making the Toronto Islands a red-light district for prostitution.

The Angus Reid poll gave him four per cent support.

Mammoliti served as a NDP MPP for five years, winning in the old riding of Yorkview. He lost in 1995, but then won a city council seat in a byelection. He moved closer to Miller after the 2006 municipal election.

Since announcing, Mammoliti has become one of the doubters about the Transit City rapid transit plan.

Quote: "I think we need to do it with a very clear voice, not being afraid of the obstacles that are in front of us and certainly not afraid to speak out and worry about how people are feeling based on a few comments. You've seen me speak my mind and not be afraid to do that."

Sarah Thomson:

Thomson is a media entrepreneur with no political experience save for an unsuccessful attempt to win a seat on Hamilton's city council years ago.

She is selling herself as a visionary.

Thomson, 42, opposes the Transit City light rail plan, saying Torontonians want underground subways. "I believe it is time to listen and build what the people want, instead of what the city planners want us to use," she said Jan. 26.

She proposes having city employees bid against private-sector firms and non-profit agencies for the "privilege" of serving the public. Thomson also supports private-public partnerships.

Thomson hadn't entered the race at the time of the poll.

Quote: "It is time to question the entrenched politicians who say, ‘We can't,’ with those who say, 'We can'."

Rob Ford

Veteran city councillor Rob Ford (Ward 2, Etobicoke North) joined the race on March 25. He was first elected in  2000.

Ford has carved out a reputation as a fiscal conservative (Federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty showed up at his campaign launch event, in part because Ford's late father Doug was a Tory MPP). Ford routinely claims no expenses as a councillor -- something that got him the attention of the city's integrity commissioner in 2007.

As some opening campaign plans, he has vowed to repeal the vehicle registration and land transfer taxes that Mayor David Miller created for the city.

Ford also promised that councillors and city staff would promptly return residents' phone calls. He claims there is enough fat in the city budget to allow costs to be slashed while still improving services for residents.

If elected mayor, Ford has said he will move to cut the size of Toronto's 44-member city council in half.

Quote: "There is going to be more accountability. There is going to be more money in the taxpayers' pockets. Right now, they're suffering, the city is suffering."

Who quit

Adam Giambrone:

TTC chair Adam Giambrone (Ward 18, Davenport) filed on Feb. 1, but let out a series of teases, including a jokey YouTube video, to signal his intentions.

The YouTube video had some people grumbling about the 32-year-old Giambrone's maturity level, but social media experts said the candidate may have hit on a good way to connect with younger voters.

At his Feb. 1 campaign launch, Giambrone played the music of rising Somali-Canadian hip hop star K'naan.

The Angus Reid poll gave Giambrone 17 per cent support, which placed him a weak second place to George Smitherman.

Giambrone would have been the youngest major candidate. He would have been seen as continuing the Miller legacy..A former president of the NDP, he has been a city councillor for seven years, the last four as TTC chair.

Rank-and-file workers at the TTC seem to genuinely like him, but in late January and early February, the TTC went through a spate of bad publicity over customer service issues.

However, Giambrone quit the race on Feb. 10 after admitting to a series of affairs, including with one woman who was 19 when they met. An aide had to tell the media that while Giambrone would no longer continue as a mayoral candidate, he would stay on as TTC chair.

Quote: "There are weeks that change your life and this one has certainly changed mine. This searing experience has taught me, I hope permanently, that a public career of integrity cannot survive deceit in your private life."

Who's Out

Besides Miller, two serious candidates who ruled themselves out were John Tory and city budget chief Shelley Carroll (Ward 33, Don Valley East).

Some polls had put Tory as an instant frontrunner. However, "It was a personal and career decision instead of something based on politics," he told reporters on Jan. 7.

Tory will be involved with the Toronto City Summit Alliance, a group dedicated to addressing the city's challenges, and continue to host his call-in show on Newstalk 1010 Radio.

Carroll decided to seek re-election as a councillor. She said she had to stay focused on Toronto's $9 billion operating budget, which will be first unveiled on Feb. 16.

"The election can't just be about personalities, positioning and ambition," said Carroll. "It must be about the people of Toronto -- all of them -- in every neighbourhood."

Carroll would have been seen as continuing the left-leaning policies of Miller.

Coun. Karen Stintz, one of the right-leaning members of council, announced last fall she wouldn't seek the mayor's chair. She had been a persistent critic of Miller's handling of the civic strike in the summer of 2009.