National Post from Toronto, Ontario, Canada • 13

WITH I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I NATIONAL POST, MONDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2010 TORONTO nationalpost.com on 10 1. Its ROCCO ROB SARAH JOE ROSSI GEORGE PANTALONE FORD TORONTO VOTES TIM FRASER FOR NATIONAL POST Sarah Thomson laughed with campaign staff after announcing that she was bowing out of the mayoral race. A virtually unknown public face at the start of her campaign, she soon gained traction when she proposed tolling the Gardiner Expressway in order to help build more subway lines. CAMPAIGN FOR MAYOR CARP MAYORAL DEBATE 8 PROCE IRYERSO TYLER ANDERSON NATIONAL. POST FILES The mayoral candidates speaking at the CARP debate in Ryerson University in August.

Joe Pantalone went for a ride SEPTEMBER PART II of responsible, thoughtful mature Sept 20 Rocco Rossi unveils a provocative ad campaign that plays off mobster-themed movie posters, calling himself a a "wise guy" and claiming he has "bocce balls." Sept 22 Having dropped out of the mayor's race, Giorgio Mammoliti endorses Rob Ford for mayor despite a rocky past that included filing a human rights complain against Mr. Ford for allegedly calling him a "Gino boy" on the floor of council. Sept 28 Sarah Thomson (below) drops out of the race and endorses Mr. Smitherman. She seems to be referring to Mr.

Ford by pronouncing the city risks "handing over the office of greatest local influence on the basis of anger and reaction, not that of responsible, thoughtful and mature A13 RACES TO WATCH usually pretty clear which ones are running because they have a genuine interest in public education and which ones are running simply because they can. As with any election, you should vote for the person who wants to make lives better. PETER KUITENBROUWER ON WARD 7 Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti, Ward 7 (north of Highway 401, Jane Street to the Humber River) has to go. He lives far from his ward. His biggest initiative is a wacky plan for North America's tallest flagpole.

He has no ideological compass: When David Miller won the election in 2003, Mr. Mammoliti was his fiercest critic. He then became the mayor's best friend. For years he attacked Rob Ford fiercely; now he endorses Ford. Mr.

Mammoliti ran for mayor only to improve his profile, then dropped out. Last year he went to a strip club for lunch with fellow councillors. When the Toronto Star published a cartoon satirizing the strip club visit, Mr. Mammoliti ordered a framed copy of the cartoon for his office wall, and expensed the cost to taxpayers. Vote for Nick DiNizio: financial software designer, engaged citizen, and he lives in the ward.

PETER J. THOMPSON NATIONAL POST Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti: Peter Kuitenbrouwer thinks his time in Ward 7 is up. MATT GURNEY MAYOR MAYOR EAM ORD AM NATIONAL POST FILES In September, a poll gave Rob Ford a 24-point lead. SEPTEMBER PART I Sept 7 The Rob Ford effect becomes clear as Mr. Smitherman announces his "war on waste" and promises a property tax and hiring freeze next year.

Sept 10 Last chance to register for the election. Sometime after, National Post cartoonist and columnist Steve Murray decides he is "running" for the "job" of "leading" Toronto, despite having missed this deadline. Sept 13 Rocco Rossi announces his "Toronto a plan to extend the Allen Road underground to the Gardiner. He later clarifies he only wants to study the option. Sept 19 Nanos Research poll for the Globe and Mail gives Rob Ford a stunning 24-point lead over George Smitherman, thus spurring the "Anybody But Ford" movement to start rallying around Mr.

Smitherman. The survey of 1,021 voters was conducted Sept 14 to 16 (margin of error 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20). Another poll done by Angus Reid around the same time shows Mr. Ford with a 13-point lead (margin of error 4.4 percentage points, 19 times out of 20). AYOR MAYOR 5 Oct 6 Mr.

Smitherman turns his attention to hunting down "progressive" votes and declares that "a vote for Joe Pantalone is the same as a vote for Rob Ford." Oct 6 Mayor David Miller breaks his silence and throws his support behind his deputy, Joe Pantalone. Oct 13 Rocco Rossi drops out after a poll gives him support, and shows Ford and Smitherman in a dead heat. In his farewell speech, Mr. Rossi said it was clear Torontonians were faced with a two-way race between "those who want to stop what Mr. Ford describes as 'the gravy train', and those that want to stop Mr.

Ford." He refused to endorse a candidate, and urged voters to "vote for something, not against someone." OCTOBER PART II OCTOBER PART I TYLER ANDERSON NATIONAL POST FILES in a rickshaw in September. Oct 17 The release of two polls confirm it's a horse race between Mr. Ford and Mr. Smitherman. A survey of 1,000 people by Nanos Research showed Mr.

Ford had 43.9% of decided voters support Rob Ford, compared to 40.5% to Mr. Smitherman and to Mr. Pantalone. Angus Reid surveyed 1,001 people and found that of decided voters and leaners would support Mr. Ford, and siding with Mr.

Smitherman. Mr. Pantalone garnered support. The poll found that of Smitherman supporters said they were voting "strategically" (Margin of error on both polls 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20) Oct 22 David Crombie endorses George Smitherman and agrees to and take on a special advisor role if he is elected. Former mayor and current senator Art Eggleton and Liberal MP Justin Trudeau also endorsed Mr.

Smitherman this month. Oct 25 Toronto votes. Polls are open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. And the winner ON WARD 32 I As a 905 commuter who spends what seems like most of his life in Toronto proper, my intense interest in the mayoral campaign is cancelled out somewhat by not having a horse in any of the local ward races.

All the same, I must confess to a certain morbid fascination with Sandra Bussin's Ward 32. While David Miller makes a good left-wing bogeyman to pin all the city's big problems on, Ms. Bussin is a handy voodoo doll for the little ones, perfectly representing both the dysfunctional personal behaviour of the city's councillors (the John Tory call, anyone?) and the disgusting air of entitlement that has stoked the flames of fury for the Rob Ford supporters. It would be delightful to see her go down. A little bit more clinically, it's also shaping up to be an interesting political battle between an entrenched incumbent and a kickthe-bum-out brigade of angry citizens, bloggers and a certain aforementioned radio host.

If she can hold onto her seat, it'll be a depressing indictment of Toronto's stagnant political culture and the apathy of municipal voters. NP, nationalpost.com MAYOR GEORGE FO, PETER J. THOMPSON NATIONAL POST FILES Just three candidates remain in the race. Check in on Foursquare and tell us how you voted. Find out more at natpo.st/4sqvote and be sure to get all the latest news and results on Twitter Get results from the mayoral and council races as soon as polls close at 8 p.m.

Read analysis from our team of reporters and columnists all night at nationalpost.com.