'Ford nation lives': Michael Ford will carry family's political brand in Ward 2
'I worry that voting for a name blinds you to what the person’s policies are,' former Ford opponent
The Fords continue to reign in Etobicoke North.
Eleven of the candidates vying to fill the seat left vacant after Rob Ford's death positioned themselves as foils to the family's mercurial legacy — but 69.6 per cent of those who voted stuck with the name they knew, this time in the form of 22-year-old Michael Ford.
"Ford nation lives! Ford nation lives!" a throng of supporters chanted as the incoming councillor arrived at campaign headquarters Monday, stopping to hug and stand for photos much like his late uncle.
Michael Ford promises, too, to maintain his uncles' commitment to retail politics. It's what Rob Ford is best known for within the district: not his sometimes bombastic performance at city hall, but instead his dedication to answering the calls of those living in Ward 2.
'Continue his legacy'
"I know he's up there [and] if I don't return a constituent's phone call I'm going to get a lightning bolt, I know that," Michael Ford told reporters. "I want to continue his legacy and his work down at city hall."
The Fords built their reputation around that commitment to "customer service" over public service, with dozens of voters sharing stories about the times Rob Ford showed up at their house to fill in a ditch, help them find a new apartment, or get their child back in school.
But while political science professor Myer Siemiatycki acknowledged that people want to feel heard and connected to their municipal representative, the idea of customer service is "a very narrow, insufficient" view of a councillor's role.
"You want a local councillor who is not only accessible and responsive, but also someone who can look at the big picture."
Fuelling Ford nation
That's not something that either Rob or Doug Ford were known for doing, the Ryerson professor said, noting their parochial style of politics would leave them the lone holdout on votes. As mayor, Rob Ford was notoriously late or absent from meetings, had numerous conflicts of interest connected to his role as a high school football coach, and found himself repeatedly being called to apologize for racist remarks including saying that "Oriental people work like dogs."
And yet that's not what his supporters remember as they cast their ballots, fuelling the Ford nation machine.
"Other politicians just come knocking on your door when they want your vote," Shukri Frah said after voting for Michael Ford. "Rob Ford wasn't like that. He had our best interests at heart."
One of his biggest wins was city council's decision in 2010 to abolish the $60 vehicle registration tax, she said. It was one of the promises the then-mayor had campaigned on.
"And that was a little break for us."
Brenda Fleming noted those same two things — customer service and cutting the vehicle tax — when she said she planned to stick with the Fords. The fact that he lied and then admitted to smoking crack "only made him more real," she said. "All of us know someone who is struggling with addiction.
"I always vote for Fords. I like the family, I liked their politics," she said. "As soon as I saw the Ford name, I just knew."
It's not a name that Michael Ford has always legally held.
The incoming councillor legally changed his last name from Stirpe in February 2014, about eight months before the first election he entered for Ward 2. He later pulled out of the race so Rob Ford could run and instead won the position of school trustee for Ward 1 and 2.
In that part of Toronto, the magic name is Ford.- Myer Siemiatycki, Ryerson University political science professor
He told CBC News the decision was personal rather than political, saying that he's "always been a Ford" and had no relationship with his father, who was convicted of killing his mother's boyfriend in 1998 and sentenced to 13 years in prison.
But he acknowledged Monday that the family name gave him an advantage.
Siemiatycki agrees.
"If there's a golden rule in municipal politics, it's name recognition," Siemiatycki said. "And in that part of Toronto, the magic name is Ford."
'Idea of birthright'
That can be frustrating for those running up against the dynasty — runner-up Jeff Canning had 20.4 per cent of the votes. And Munira Abukar, who lost to Rob Ford in the 2014 election for the ward, said she's concerned that people hear the family name and vote without researching the platform.
"It creates a sort of feeling of a royal family, this idea of birthright," she said. "I worry that voting for a name blinds you to what the person's policies are."
And for the Fords, politics is a family affair. Rob Ford won Ward 2 in 2000, holding it until he won the 2010 mayoral race. At that point, Doug Ford was elected to the seat, with it switching back to his brother after the former mayor's cancer diagnosis.
Rob Ford's son, Dougie, hovered at his cousin Michael Ford's side for much of the victory party. His mother, Diane Ford, ruffled her grandson's hair and then looked directly into the waiting television cameras: "He's going to be the future mayor."
For now, however, it will be Michael Ford leading Ward 2. And despite his family pedigree, Siemiatycki characterizes him as a "different kind of Ford."
- Voters go to the polls to elect new councillor in Rob Ford's old ward
- Rob Ford's misdeeds shouldn't be forgotten, political opponents say
- Rob Ford left legacy of customer service for Doug Ford to follow, supporters say
Doug Ford echoed that sentiment, saying his nephew represents "more moderate" views than those the family has championed in the past. Michael Ford's admiration of Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is just one example, his uncle said.
"God bless Michael for being so open-minded and crossing different lines," he said. "Yeah, he's more moderate, but that's all right. He's going to go down there and he's still going to stick with our family's values of customer service, keeping taxes low and building subways."
