Jennifer McKelvie announces she will not be running for mayor following John Tory’s resignation

Soon after Toronto Mayor John Tory handed in his resignation, effective Friday, Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie set the record straight Thursday morning about her intention to contest for re-election announcing that she will not be running for mayor in the upcoming byelections.

McKelvie asserted in the statement that she “will not be seeking to run for Mayor in the upcoming by-election”, clarifying that she will, however, oversee mayoral duties until a new mayor is elected in the byelections.

McKelvie will take the office “from the moment Tory’s resignation is formally effective until a new mayor is elected by residents” and would not seek re-election once her tenure wraps up.

“Representing the residents of my ward, and ensuring a smooth, stable transition until a new Mayor is elected, requires my full attention…I appreciate every resident who has reached out asking if I would run-my love for representing them and for my role, are why I won’t be moving forward with a campaign for Mayor,” the statement released Thursday morning read.

According to The City of Toronto Act, which details provisions for when a mayor decides to step down, Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie is to hold office for now, until a byelection is scheduled for the position.

According to the act, the city council is to meet up to formally declare the position vacant and has 60 days to pass a by-law for the polls after.

After a byelection is announced, candidates must be given a minimum of 30 days and a maximum of 60 days to put their name in the running of the mayoral election, according to the act. Thereafter, the election is scheduled for 45 days later, which would suggest that McKelvie is likely to hold the position for the next few months.