In just a little over two months, the Beaches-East York councillor has already raised more than twice what he took in for his unsuccessful 2023 mayoral run.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ca/post/67747973

Note: I do not support Bad Badford, just a reminder that we are all responsible for making sure he doesn’t get into office.

Not Canada-specific but crossposting here for people in Toronto who don’t follow the !toronto@lemmy.ca community.

  • Avid Amoeba@lemmy.caOP
    12·
    13 days ago

    Zachary Taylor, director of Western University’s local government program, said it’s “kind of astonishing” that the councillor has raised so much at this early stage. He said it’s an indication that Bradford has become the “consensus candidate” among more right-leaning donors hoping to block Chow, a veteran progressive, from a second term.

    In addition to raising money, Bradford has been busy assembling a campaign team that includes well-known operatives form Conservative and Liberal circles.

    Mike Van Soelen, a partner at the Oyster Group public affairs firm, and former Liberal strategist Genevieve Tomney are co-chairs, while his campaign is being managed by John Sinclair, former deputy chief of staff to Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre. Sinclair was also chief of staff for Scarborough-Rouge Park councillor Jennifer McKelvie as well as executive director of the Ontario PC caucus under Premier Doug Ford.

    Laryssa Waler, Ford’s former executive director of communications, is Bradford’s communications director, while Isha Chaudhuri, former communications adviser to Ontario PC Minister of Energy and Mines Stephen Lecce, is press secretary.

    This bud is failing the Gaza litmus test among other red (blue) flags.

    Donate to Chow if you can. I just did.

    Things look too close for comfort: