Two more Conservatives announce Toronto mayoral bids

TORONTO, Feb. 24 (UPI) -- Two more Conservatives tossed their hats in the ring Monday in a crowded primary field for Toronto's upcoming mayoral election.

Former Rogers Media Cheif Executive Officer and Canadian Football League Commissioner John Tory, and former Toronto Transit Commission Chairwoman Karen Stintz arrived at City Hall 90 minutes apart to fill out paperwork to register as candidates in the Oct. 27 Conservative party primary.

They join more than 20 other hopefuls -- including disgraced incumbent Mayor Rob Ford, who has vowed to seek re-election despite widespread condemnation and calls for his resignation after allegations of crack cocaine and alcohol abuse surfaced last year.

Tory ran for the city's top post in 2003 but lost. He pledged to run a clean campaign focused on the city's future, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported.

"Right now, we're at a time when we need to get the whole city working together, the whole council working together to make it accountable, to make it affordable, to make it functional," he said.

Stintz, a three-term councilwoman and head of the TTC until this year, said she looks forward to "a campaign that is fiscally responsible but also delivers on the priorities of this city."