Chris Alexander drops out of Toronto mayoral race

Former Conservative MP Chris Alexander has withdrawn from the race for Toronto mayor, saying his path to victory was not clear and may not have existed. Speaking at a news conference on Tuesday, Alexander said he wanted to step aside before advance voting so voters could focus on candidates who intend to stay in the race until election day. He said his decision was not easy and added that he still believed the remaining candidates lacked enough fiscal discipline, ambition or detail. Alexander said weak polling helped drive the move. A recent Mainstreet Research poll placed him well behind the frontrunners, with incumbent Olivia Chow leading the field and Coun. Brad Bradford in second. Alexander said he was not endorsing another candidate, and he encouraged voters to examine the other campaigns closely.