A "really pumped up" Rob Ford is coming back to City Hall -- albeit as a councillor once again -- after his old Etobicoke ward overwhelmingly supported him in Monday night's election.
Ford handily won the race for Ward 2 in Toronto's municipal election -- the same council seat he previously held for three consecutive terms, between 2000 and 2010, before making his mayoral run.
Ford received 58.8 per cent of the vote. By comparison, his closest contender, Luke LaRocque, claimed 10.9 per cent support.
Ford's older brother, however, was not so lucky. Doug Ford lost the mayoral race to fellow contender John Tory by about 64,000 votes. Olivia Chow, a former NDP MP, came in third.
Speaking after the results came in, an emotional Ford thanked supporters for standing behind both him and Doug. He also promised that the Ford family would not be going anywhere.
"If you know anything about the Ford family, we never, ever, ever give up," Ford said to cheering and weeping supporters.
"In four more years, you’re going to see another example of the Ford family never, ever, ever giving up. We, today, have got to start working for November of 2018."
He added: “I look forward to the next four years. I’m actually really pumped up.”
During his last year in office, Ford was plagued by scandal stemming from the now-infamous crack tape.
Months after media reports of the tape emerged, Ford admitted to having had smoked crack-cocaine in a "drunken stupor" -- a confession that grabbed international headlines and made the mayor regular fodder for late-night TV comedians.
Ford also came under fire for other offensive comments and behaviour, and a police investigation that didn’t result in any charges.
City council voted to strip him of many of his executive powers last November, leaving him as little more than a figurehead in Toronto’s top job.
Throughout his many missteps, Ford vowed to seek re-election -- even after a second video emerged, leading the mayor to take a leave of absence just as the mayoral campaign was ramping up.
But a cancer diagnosis in early September sidelined him, with Ford bowing out to focus on his health.
At that time, Doug Ford registered to take his place. But many analysts have suggested the elder Ford lack Rob’s “everyman” appeal.
Ford will remain in the mayor's chair until Dec. 1, when Tory will be sworn in.
