Toronto, plagued by scandal, elects new mayor

TORONTO - Toronto has elected a moderate conservative as mayor, ending the scandal-ridden Rob Ford era.

John Tory had 40 percent of the vote, compared to 34 percent for Doug Ford, brother of outgoing Mayor Rob Ford. Left-leaning Olivia Chow was third with nearly 23 percent. The results were announced Monday night with more than 90 percent of polling stations reporting.

Rob Ford's four-year tenure as mayor of Canada's largest city was marred by his drinking and crack cocaine use. He announced last month that he wouldn't seek re-election as he battles a rare form of cancer. His brother, a city councilor, ran in his place.

Tory trailed in third place for most of his campaign until Ford's announcement, according to the Toronto Star. But he gained popularity by his plan to raise funds for a "Smart Track" surface rail line for the city, which was enough to beat Chow in the minds of voters on the fence between the two.

After months of denials, the mayor in 2013 acknowledged he had smoked crack cocaine in one of his "drunken stupors," but he refused to resign. The City Council stripped Ford of most of his powers but lacked the authority to force him out of office because he wasn't convicted of a crime.

Ford announced he was entering rehab for drugs and alcohol in April 2014 after newspaper reports detailed three nights in which he was extremely intoxicated. One report was about a video that appeared to show him smoking a crack pipe again - nearly a year after reports of a similar video first brought international attention.

Despite the cancer, Ford opted to seek the City Council seat from the Etobicoke district where he launched his political career. He won his old seat in a landslide. He remains mayor through November.

Tory takes over as Toronto's 65th chief magistrate on Dec. 1.