Toronto, David Soknacki took a few final swipes at Rob Ford as he discussed his decision to pull out of the mayoral race Wednesday, telling reporters at city hall that a “cat would make a better mayor.”
“I believe that he has traumatized our city. I believe that he has been a divisive force and out on the doorsteps issue number one is transit and issue number two is anybody but Rob Ford,” Soknacki said. “It’s really become a referendum on him.”
Soknacki, who had the support of six per cent of respondents in a Forum Research Poll released Wednesday morning, refused to endorse anyone as he spoke with reporters, only saying that both Olivia Chow and John Tory are “fantastic candidates.”
When asked about his cat comment in a one-on-one interview with CP24 afterwards, the former budget chief under David Miller then added a few other animals to the list.
“I didn’t mean anything against the dogs, the turtles and the rabbits and the raccoons, which are very popular in Scarborough,” he said.
Soknacki spent $300,000 of own money
Soknacki announced his decision to pull out of the mayoral race on Tuesday night after getting a preview of the new Forum Research poll.
Speaking with reporters Wednesday, the businessman noted that he has put $300,000 of his own money into the campaign and ultimately the cost became too much to justify.
Soknacki, however, said he has no regrets.
“There is no buyers remorse. Without that (the $300,000) we wouldn’t have raised the issues and we wouldn’t have been able to put together a team and have had this debate,” he said. “Instead I fear we would have had a pure contest among personalities and if that is the price that someone has to pay it is indeed the price that someone has to pay.”