Michael Ford (politician)
Michael Douglas Ford is a Canadian politician, who was elected to Toronto City Council in a by-election on July 25, 2016. He was previously a Toronto District School Board trustee for Ward 1 Etobicoke North from 2014 until May 6, 2016, when he resigned to run in the by-election. The council seat was vacated upon the death of his uncle, former mayor and councillor Rob Ford.
Early life and family
He was born in 1994 to Ennio Stirpe and Kathy Ford in Toronto, Ontario. Ford attended Richview Collegiate Institute in Etobicoke and graduated in 2012. His father, Ennio Stirpe, was convicted of manslaughter in 2009 and convicted of attempted murder in 2012. He is currently incarcerated and serving an 18-year prison term for attempted murder.He legally changed his surname from Stirpe to Ford, and removed Aldo from his given name, in February 2014.
He is the nephew of deceased former Toronto Mayor Rob Ford and Ontario Premier Doug Ford and the grandson of former MPP Doug Ford Sr.
Political career
In the 2014 municipal election, Ford was initially a candidate for Toronto City Council in Ward 2 Etobicoke North, but dropped out when his uncle, Rob Ford, withdrew from the mayoral race after being diagnosed with an abdominal tumour. Rob Ford then registered to run for the council seat, while Michael transferred his candidacy to the school board race.During an interview with The Globe and Mail, Michael Ford acknowledged that his last name helped him get elected, but stated that he is his own man, and unlike his uncles. His colleagues on the Board of Trustees were very concerned when Ford was elected due to his uncles' public lives in politics, but one of his colleagues, Marit Stiles, told the Globe that Ford was a hard worker, eager to learn, and wasn't afraid to ask questions. He also quickly earned a reputation for being more politically moderate and conciliatory than his uncles — including expressing admiration of Justin Trudeau, whom both of his uncles were known for criticizing, and attending Toronto's Pride Week parade.
Rob Ford died on March 22, 2016, at which time the council seat in Ward 2 was declared vacant. After city council declared on May 6 that a by-election would be held to fill the seat, Michael Ford announced he would resign his trustee position to run for council.
He won the by-election, winning 69.53 per cent of the vote over 11 other challengers. At 22, he is the youngest person in recent history to be elected to council.
Ford ran for re election in the 2018 municipal election in the newly expanded Ward 1 Etobicoke North. The new Ward 1 had the same boundaries as Etobicoke North. He defeated fellow incumbent councillor Vincent Crisanti.
Personal life
In June 2020, Ford tested positive for COVID-19 during the coronavirus pandemic in Canada.Election results
| 2016 By-election Councillor Ward 2 | - | - |
| Candidate | Votes | % |
| Michael Ford | 6,534 | 69.53% |
| Jeff Canning | 1,918 | 20.41% |
| Christopher Strain | 354 | 3.77% |
| Chloe-Marie Brown | 152 | 1.62% |
| Christopher Noor | 134 | 1.43% |
| Total | 9,397 | 100% |