[URBAN NOTE] On the departure of Karen Stintz from the Toronto mayoral race

[rfmcdonald]

Not only will Stintz drop out of the election, she has announced her plans to drop out of politics altogether. From Torontoist:

After days of conspicuous campaign silence, Karen Stintz (Ward 16, Eglinton-Lawrence) announced this morning her decision to exit the mayoral race.

“I knew more than anyone that I was in for a difficult race,” Stintz said during an 11 a.m. press conference at City Hall. She added, “I’m disappointed my vision and ideas did not gain the traction I had hoped.” Stintz also declared she will not run for city council: “After three terms I am proud of my accomplishments, and I believe I have served my city well.”

There was plenty of speculation this week that Stintz had been eyeing the exits. She’s been considered a non-factor in the race for some time, consistently polling in the single digits (earlier this month, Forum Research had Stintz at 4 per cent).

Stintz served as TTC chair before announcing her mayoral candidacy in February. During her tenure, the TTC introduced free wireless internet at subway stations, a new customer service charter, and the Crisis Link suicide prevention program. But Stintz was also criticized for changing her mind on the Scarborough subway-LRT debate, and throughout her mayoral campaign she struggled to differentiate herself from frontrunner John Tory.

See also blogTO's brief item.

The Toronto Star goes into greater detail, suggesting that this will benefit the campaign of ideological similar John Tory.

Stintz said she was proud of her campaign and her three terms as councillor for Ward 16 (Eglinton-Lawrence), but said she will not jump back into the council race.

“It’s time to start a new chapter,” after 11 years in politics, said Stintz who first ran for council after answering a candidate-recruitment ad from a midtown ratepayers’ association. “My immediate plans are to get through the next council meeting and then to get my kids (Jackson, 9, and Hailey, 7) ready to go back to school.”

She took no questions and did not endorse any of her mayoral challengers. Her former assistant J.P. Boutros is now running to replace her in Ward 16.

[. . .]

Stintz had gained a high profile, first as TTC chair and then for her bruising battles over transit with Mayor Rob Ford (Open Rob Ford’s policard). However, she has consistently polled below five per cent support in the mayoral race, more than 25 points behind the leader and tied for fourth or fifth place.

Her campaign had been the quietest of the five leading contenders, and once-key operatives appear to have reduced their involvement in her team.

Stintz’s centre-right, business-friendly platform appealed to the same pool of voters, donors, volunteers and organizers as that of John Tory, the radio host and former Ontario Progressive Conservative leader who recent polls say has a narrow lead over former NDP MP Olivia Chow.