Open this photo in gallery:
Former MP Chris Alexander was running in the race to become Toronto’s mayor. Voters head to the polls on Oct. 26.Jessica Darmanin/Supplied
Former federal Conservative cabinet minister Chris Alexander says he is dropping out of Toronto’s mayoral race, as polls have shown him in a distant third.
Mr. Alexander announced the move Tuesday morning at his campaign headquarters, just as advance voting in the Oct. 26 municipal election got under way across the city. His announcement was made too late for his name to be removed off the ballot.
But it appeared to clear the way for a head-to-head race between leading contenders Olivia Chow, a former NDP MP and the city’s incumbent mayor, and Brad Bradford, an east-end city councillor.
“Our path to success, it became clear to me over this weekend, was not obvious, and perhaps not there at all,” Mr. Alexander said Tuesday.
Mr. Alexander also said he is not endorsing any of the remaining candidates.
Public opinion surveys have consistently shown Mr. Alexander well behind the leaders.
A Nanos Research survey commissioned by cable-news channel CP24 and CTV News Toronto and released Tuesday showed Ms. Chow at 52.4 per cent among decided voters, Mr. Bradford at 42.6, and just four per cent for Mr. Alexander, the news channel reported. The poll of 755 Torontonians was conducted from Sept. 30 to Oct. 4.