George Smitherman, Ontario’s first openly gay member of provincial parliament, resigned from his posts Sunday to run for mayor of Toronto.
Ontario’s former deputy premier and cabinet minister of energy and infrastructure informed Premier Dalton McGuinty that he was stepping down from his positions last weekend.
Soon after relinquishing his political seats, Smitherman discussed his passion for the Toronto mayor race with reporters. “I am a son of this city,” he stated. “It is where I was born, where I was raised. It’s a city that has been a source of great pride and a place where I’ve devoted a great deal of my energy trying to help build a stronger community. Toronto has had an amazing history, of which we should all be proud. I believe it can have an even brighter future.”
Since the current mayor, David Miller, announced that he would not pursue re-election in 2010, a few other politicians will compete for the title.
Smitherman can’t formally declare his candidacy until January.
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— Zachary Culler
