WE really need to get rid of this guy

[spaminator]

Ford Tories trail leaderless Liberals in new poll
New Liaison poll numbers spell more bad news for struggling PCs

Author of the article:Bryan Passifiume
Published Jun 19, 2026 • Last updated 22 hours ago • 2 minute read

Ontario Premier Doug Ford speaks to the media before heading into the caucus room at Queen's Park in Toronto, Ontario on Tuesday, May 26, 2026. Photo by Peter Power /Postmedia File

OTTAWA — It’s more bad news for the Doug Ford Tories.


A little over a week after a new Angus Reid poll showed Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s approval ratings had reached all-time lows, new numbers released Friday by Liaison Strategies show the leaderless Ontario Liberals edging a slight lead over the Tories.

“The Liberals have moved from a tie to a three-point lead,” said Liaison Principal David Valentin.

“That is not a runaway lead, but the movement this month is against Ford. The PCs are down two points from May, the Liberals are up one, and the NDP is up two.”

If an election were held today, 38% of decided voters said they’d vote for the Ontario Liberals, with just 35% opting for the Doug Ford PCs.

The Ontario NDP continue their slight upward trajectory by snagging 22% of the vote.

Ford’s approval ratings reach personal lows
This continues a trend that began late last year, which saw support for the Tories slip as support for the Liberals — and to a lesser extent the Ontario NDP — climb.


Liaison’s numbers also correlate to last week’s Angus Reid data on approval ratings for provincial premiers, which put Ford dead last compared to his counterparts — joining Alberta’s Danielle Smith and B.C.’s David Eby as the least popular premiers in Canada.

According to Liaison, 69% of those polled do not approve of Ford’s performance as premier, compared to 26% who do approve, and five per cent who said they weren’t sure.

“The province’s direction numbers are no better,” Valentin said.

“Twenty-nine per cent say Ontario is headed in the right direction, while 66% say it is headed in the wrong direction. That is an extremely difficult environment for an incumbent government.”

Many unhappy with the health-care system
Liaison’s survey also identified health care as a key frustration point for Ontarians, with 60% reporting somebody in their household having trouble accessing timely health care during the past year.

As well, 67% of those polled said Ontario’s health-care system is worse than it was a year ago, with 20% saying it’s about the same, and 10% saying its gotten better.

Sixty-six per cent also said they don’t trust the current government to improve health care in Ontario.

bpassifiume@postmedia.com
X: @bryanpassifiume

Ford Tories trail leaderless Liberals in new poll

Doug Ford’s Tories have coughed up their lead to the leaderless Liberals as Ontarians lose patience with the health-care system. Read more.

torontosun.com

 

[spaminator]

John Tory Jr. seeks federal Liberal nomination for Beaches-East York riding
’I have known myself, and my friends and family have known me, to be a Liberal for a long time’

Author of the article:Jane Stevenson
Published Jul 02, 2026 • Last updated 18 hours ago • 2 minute read

John Tory Jr.,
John Tory Jr., the 47-year-old son of former Toronto mayor John Tory. LinkedIn

The federal riding of Beaches-East York is about to get a familiar name in the running to replace outgoing Liberal MP Nate Erskine-Smith.


John Tory Jr., the 47-year-old son of Toronto’s former mayor, is seeking the Liberal nomination as a Beaches-East York candidate.

“When I meet with people, and I’m out in the community, and I give my name, there’s obviously a moment of recognition,” the pilot and aviation executive told TVrg.

“But people are not terribly interested in who my family is or who I am in terms of who I’m related to. They’re interested in what I can do for them.”

Why Liberal and not Conservative?
Tory Sr., who resigned as Toronto’s mayor in 2023 after disclosing an extra-marital relationship with a younger former staff member, joined the Progressive Conservatives as a teen and led the provincial party from 2004-09. He defeated Doug Ford and Olivia Chow to take the mayor’s seat in 2014.

Tory Jr., however, said he has always been more interested in the Liberals.


“I have known myself, and my friends and family have known me, to be a Liberal for a long time,” he told TVrg. “I can’t put a date on it, but as I got older, and started raising a family.”

As a married father of three (ages 13, 16, and 18) with wife Melanie, Tory Jr.’s special interests are education and health care.

“I want those public institutions to be strong for them. And so, to me, that’s a Liberal government,” he said.

This will be Tory Jr.’s first election race.

How the seat came open
Erskine-Smith’s failed bid for the Ontario Liberal leadership led him to the neighbouring Scarborough Southwest riding provincially, making his federal seat available.

After Erskine-Smith’s unsuccessful appeal in which he alleged voting irregularities, he later confirmed he will resign his seat in the House of Commons this summer. He’s now considering a run for Toronto city council.

However, a nomination race is still up in the air.

Prime Minister Mark Carney skipped nominating meetings and appointed candidates in University-Rosedale (Danielle Martin) and Scarborough-Southwest (Dolly Begum), with both easily winning their byelections.


What Tory Jr. says of his dad
On his father’s political knowledge, Tory Jr. told TVO his dad has ” been an adviser to me throughout my life.”

“He’s somebody who understands a lot about politics, and he gives me the same advice that I think he gives to other people — which is just to say that it’s really about how sure I am in what I’m saying, and in my message, and in what I’m trying to do. It’s not about what he may have done.”

His 72-year-old dad recently confirmed he would not be running to reclaim his former job as Toronto’s mayor.

“I think he’s proud of the fact that his time in public service has inspired one of his children to put their name forward and seek elective office, and to try to make a difference,” his son said.

jstevenson@postmedia.com

TVO Today | Current Affairs Journalism, Documentaries and Podcasts

tvo.org

John Tory Jr. seeks federal Liberal nomination for Beaches-East York riding

The federal riding of Beaches-East York is about to get a familiar name in the running for the Liberal nomination. Read on.

torontosun.com

 

[spaminator]

John Tory Jr. seeks federal Liberal nomination for Beaches-East York riding
’I have known myself, and my friends and family have known me, to be a Liberal for a long time’

Author of the article:Jane Stevenson
Published Jul 02, 2026 • Last updated 18 hours ago • 2 minute read

John Tory Jr.,
John Tory Jr., the 47-year-old son of former Toronto mayor John Tory. LinkedIn

The federal riding of Beaches-East York is about to get a familiar name in the running to replace outgoing Liberal MP Nate Erskine-Smith.


John Tory Jr., the 47-year-old son of Toronto’s former mayor, is seeking the Liberal nomination as a Beaches-East York candidate.

“When I meet with people, and I’m out in the community, and I give my name, there’s obviously a moment of recognition,” the pilot and aviation executive told TVrg.

“But people are not terribly interested in who my family is or who I am in terms of who I’m related to. They’re interested in what I can do for them.”

Why Liberal and not Conservative?
Tory Sr., who resigned as Toronto’s mayor in 2023 after disclosing an extra-marital relationship with a younger former staff member, joined the Progressive Conservatives as a teen and led the provincial party from 2004-09. He defeated Doug Ford and Olivia Chow to take the mayor’s seat in 2014.

Tory Jr., however, said he has always been more interested in the Liberals.


“I have known myself, and my friends and family have known me, to be a Liberal for a long time,” he told TVrg. “I can’t put a date on it, but as I got older, and started raising a family.”

As a married father of three (ages 13, 16, and 18) with wife Melanie, Tory Jr.’s special interests are education and health care.

“I want those public institutions to be strong for them. And so, to me, that’s a Liberal government,” he said.

This will be Tory Jr.’s first election race.

How the seat came open
Erskine-Smith’s failed bid for the Ontario Liberal leadership led him to the neighbouring Scarborough Southwest riding provincially, making his federal seat available.

After Erskine-Smith’s unsuccessful appeal in which he alleged voting irregularities, he later confirmed he will resign his seat in the House of Commons this summer. He’s now considering a run for Toronto city council.

However, a nomination race is still up in the air.

Prime Minister Mark Carney skipped nominating meetings and appointed candidates in University-Rosedale (Danielle Martin) and Scarborough-Southwest (Dolly Begum), with both easily winning their byelections.


What Tory Jr. says of his dad
On his father’s political knowledge, Tory Jr. told TVO his dad has ” been an adviser to me throughout my life.”

“He’s somebody who understands a lot about politics, and he gives me the same advice that I think he gives to other people — which is just to say that it’s really about how sure I am in what I’m saying, and in my message, and in what I’m trying to do. It’s not about what he may have done.”

His 72-year-old dad recently confirmed he would not be running to reclaim his former job as Toronto’s mayor.

“I think he’s proud of the fact that his time in public service has inspired one of his children to put their name forward and seek elective office, and to try to make a difference,” his son said.

jstevenson@postmedia.com

TVO Today | Current Affairs Journalism, Documentaries and Podcasts

tvo.org

John Tory Jr. seeks federal Liberal nomination for Beaches-East York riding

The federal riding of Beaches-East York is about to get a familiar name in the running for the Liberal nomination. Read on.

torontosun.com

it will be interesting to see if name recognition helps him win.

 

[spaminator]

Graham Platner, Democrat accused of rape, exits key U.S. Senate race
Political newcomer won last month's Democratic primary to oppose Republican Sen. Susan Collins

Author of the article:AFP
AFP
Frankie TAGGART
Published Jul 08, 2026 • 3 minute read

After scandals plagued his campaign, Graham Platner will not be Maine's Democratic Senate candidate in November's midterm election against Republican Senator Susan Collins (R).
After scandals plagued his campaign, Graham Platner will not be Maine's Democratic Senate candidate in November's midterm election against Republican Senator Susan Collins (R). Photo by Sophie Park, LEIGH VOGEL /GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Graham Platner, a scandal-plagued Democratic Senate nominee whose insurgent rise had drawn comparisons to Donald Trump, ended his campaign Wednesday after a rape allegation threatened to derail one of his party’s best chances of flipping a Republican-held seat.


Platner, a Marine veteran, oysterman and political newcomer, won last month’s Democratic primary in the northeastern state of Maine to face Republican Sen. Susan Collins in November’s midterm elections.


His withdrawal gives Maine Democrats only days to regroup in a race central to the party’s hopes of regaining control of the U.S. Senate.

“We are suspending campaign operations,” Platner said in a video posted on X. “This is incredibly difficult because I know that some will think it’s an admission of guilt and it most certainly is not.”

“I intend to file my paperwork to withdraw.”

Under Maine law, Democrats can replace Platner on the ballot because he quit before a Monday deadline. The state party has until July 27 to choose a new nominee.

The scramble comes after Politico reported Monday that Jenny Racicot, a 41-year-old Maine resident who previously dated Platner, accused him of forcing her to have sex in late 2021 despite her repeated objections.


Platner, also 41, strongly denied the allegation, calling it “troubling, serious and false” and saying any accusation of non-consensual behaviour was “categorically untrue.”

But his campaign rapidly lost support across the Democratic Party, from the Washington establishment to progressive lawmakers and activists who had previously defended him.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee chair Kirsten Gillibrand urged him to withdraw, warning that the party’s campaign arm would not invest in the Maine race if he remained on the ballot.

“We’re not doing it because of the allegations, we’re doing it because of the structures that are being taken away from us by those in power,” Platner said in the video on X.

Several other former Platner supporters in the Senate called for him to step aside, while the Maine Democratic Party said “principle does not bend based on party affiliation” and urged Platner to quit.


The collapse of his campaign is a dramatic reversal for a candidate who only weeks ago was celebrated by supporters as proof that a blunt anti-establishment message could break through with voters tired of cautious Democratic politics.

Fervent following
Platner built a fervent following in Maine with attacks on corporate power, the political donor class and Collins, whom he accused of serving billionaires rather than ordinary people.

His appeal drew comparisons to Trump’s own disruptive rise: Personal magnetism, contempt for establishment politics and a promise to break a system many voters see as corrupt or exhausted.

But the qualities that thrilled his supporters also unsettled Democrats who feared his personal baggage could cost them a winnable race.

Even before the latest allegation, Platner’s campaign had been dogged by old incendiary online posts, sexually explicit messages sent to women early in his marriage, a tattoo resembling a Nazi symbol that he later covered up and allegations that he had mistreated women.


Platner has acknowledged past struggles with undiagnosed PTSD and alcohol abuse, but has denied physically harming former partners.

His exit leaves Democrats facing a compressed and politically fraught replacement process.

Progressives have already begun pushing for a nominee who can inherit Platner’s movement and policy agenda, while party leaders are under pressure to choose someone able to reassure moderates, independents and female voters in a state where Collins has repeatedly survived difficult races.

Collins, a five-term Republican and one of her party’s few remaining moderates in Congress, is among Democrats’ top targets this year.

But the turmoil around Platner has given her campaign a reprieve and exposed Democratic divisions over candidate vetting, populism and electability.

In the video, Platner called on “the Democratic establishment” to step up for the “will and the values” of the people of Maine, a largely rural and rugged state.

Maine is one of the party’s clearest Senate pickup opportunities and Democrats likely need to gain several seats to win back the chamber.

Graham Platner, Democrat accused of rape, exits key U.S. Senate race

The Marine veteran, oysterman and political newcomer won last month's Democratic primary to oppose Republican Sen. Susan Collins. Read on.

torontosun.com

 

[spaminator]

Bonnie Crombie running for Mississauga mayor again
65-year-old last served in the position from 2014 to 2024

Author of the article:Ian Shantz
Published Jul 12, 2026 • Last updated 11 hours ago • 1 minute read

Bonnie Crombie
Bonnie Crombie is pictured after winning 57% of the vote in a leadership review at the Ontario Liberal Party annual general meeting on Sept. 14, 2025. Photo by THE CANADIAN PRESS

Bonnie Crombie is aiming to become mayor of Mississauga again.


She said in a message to a small group of supporters and Mississauga councillors on Sunday that she’ll register to run on Tuesday.

“Please join me as I officially register as a candidate,” Crombie wrote. “I’d love to have you there as we mark this exciting moment together.”

Crombie, 65, served as Mississauga mayor for a decade, from 2014 to 2024, succeeding longtime mayor Hazel McCallion.

She resigned as mayor in 2024 after winning the Ontario Liberal Party leadership race the previous year.

Crombie lost the election to Doug Ford in February 2025. She stepped down as Liberal leader following a weak leadership review from her party in September.

Crombie had replaced party leader Steven Del Duca in December 2023. She didn’t win a seat in the provincial legislature during the 2025 election last February, losing in a close vote to Silvia Gualtieri of the Conservatives.

“I am looking forward to spending more time with my family, including welcoming my first grandchild, while giving the party the space it needs to move forward with new leadership,” Crombie said in announcing her resignation at the time.


Ottawa South MPP John Fraser, who succeeded former premier Dalton McGuinty as the riding’s representative at Queen’s Park in 2013, was nominated by the Ontario Liberal caucus to fill in as their temporary leader for a third time after Crombie’s resignation.



As of Sunday, six people had registered to run for Mississauga mayor, including incumbent Carolyn Parrish, and city councillors Alvin Tedjo and Dipika Damerla.

The next municipal election is Oct. 26.

The deadline to file a nomination to be a council or school trustee candidate is Friday, Aug. 21 at 2 p.m.

Bonnie Crombie running for Mississauga mayor again

Bonnie Crombie is aiming to become mayor of Mississauga again. Find out more.

torontosun.com

 

[spaminator]

John Tory Jr. no longer seeking Beaches--East York federal Liberal nomination
Son of ex-Toronto mayor says tight timeline does 'not provide a realistic or viable path to success for me'

Author of the article:Jane Stevenson
Published Jul 13, 2026 • 3 minute read

John Tory Jr.
John Tory Jr. Photo by johntorybey.ca

Less than two weeks after he declared he was seeking the federal Liberal nomination for the Beaches–East York riding, John Tory Jr. is out of the race.


The 47-year-old son of former Toronto mayor John Tory said in a statement released Monday that timing and longer-running candidates led to his decision.

“I have decided to suspend my campaign to be the Liberal MP nominee for Beaches–East York,” wrote Tory on a campaign website.

“The tight timeline of this campaign, combined with the strong support earned by the other candidates from their years of hard work, do not provide a realistic or viable path to success for me. The best thing for our party, for myself and my family and for Beaches–East York is for me to focus all of my energy on ensuring a Liberal MP is elected in this summer’s byelection. The person nominated will have my full support and I will do everything I can to help them.”


‘Not a great prospect of success’
Tory told his father on Newstalk 1010 on Monday morning, when the senior Tory was filing in for John Moore, that the Liberal nomination meeting for the riding is on Saturday.

“There were a couple of candidates who also put themselves forward for nomination and they’ve been working on this for many years in terms of building their roots in the community as Liberals and as people who had shown interest in seeking the office,” said the younger Tory on Newstalk 1010.

“So for me, there was not a great prospect of success, but there is a great prospect of success if we unite behind the eventual nominee and make sure they get elected.”

Tory had previously announced his interest in challenging for the riding held by outgoing Liberal MP Nate Erskine-Smith.

The pilot and aviation executive said that while his famous dad has been a conservative since he was a teen, Tory said “myself and my friends and family have known me to be a Liberal for a long time. I can’t put a date on it, but (it was) as I got older and started raising a family.”


Tory thanks family, friends for support
The married father of three teens with wife Melanie thanked his “family and my team for your support, patience, humour and comfort.

“To the friends, neighbours, community leaders, business owners, parents, students and everyone else who took a few minutes for me — thank you for the opportunity to introduce myself to you and for open minds and ears,” he said. “It is both humbling and inspiring to be able to listen to the challenges and aspirations of people I have only just met and I am grateful for the trust and hope that so many of you were willing to place in me.”

The senior Tory resigned as Toronto’s mayor in 2023 after disclosing an extra-marital relationship with a younger former staff member, led the Progressive Conservatives provincially from 2004-09 and defeated future Ontario Premier Doug Ford and future Mayor Olivia Chow to take the mayor’s seat in 2014.

Erskine-Smith’s failed bid for the Ontario Liberal leadership and quest to represent the provincial riding of Scarborough Southwest made his federal seat available.


Beaches-East York Liberal MP Nate Erskine-Smith answers questions by the journalists before heading into the caucus meeting at the West Block on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026. Photo by HYUNGCHEOL PARK /Postmedia
No date set for byelection
After Erskine-Smith lost the riding’s nomination process to Ahsanul Hafiz and had an appeal of the results denied, he later confirmed he would resign from his seat in the House of Commons this summer. He’s now considering a run for Toronto city council.

As for the younger Tory, he said his “energy is not gone and neither am I.

“I am turning now to make sure we elect our nominated candidate as the Liberal member of Parliament for Beaches–East York to join the Mark Carney team in Ottawa,” he said.

A byelection date for the riding has yet to be announced, but needs to be declared by Jan. 3, 2027. Beaches–East York is one of four vacant federal seats alongside one in B.C. and two others in Quebec.

http://elections.ca/content.aspx?section=res&dir=cir/dis&document=vacant_2025&lang=e

A Message from John Tory

johntorybey.ca

John Tory Jr. no longer seeking Beaches--East York federal Liberal nomination

Less than two weeks after he declared he was seeking the Grit nomination in Beaches--East York, John Tory Jr. is out of the race. Read more.

torontosun.com

 

[spaminator]

Bonnie Crombie eyes return as Mississauga mayor
Stepped down from post in June 2024 to run opposite Premier Doug Ford as the provincial Liberal candidate in the 2025 election.

Author of the article:Gordon Anderson
Published Jul 14, 2026 • 3 minute read

crombie
Former Mississauga mayor Bonnie Crombie officially joined the race for mayor in Ontario's fourth largest city on Tuesday in Mississauga. Photo by Gordon Anderson/Toronto Sun

On perhaps the hottest day of the year, the former mayor of Mississauga tossed a few coals on the fire.


“I left the current mayor (Carolyn Parrish) with a strong and resilient city with strong fiscal management and low taxes, a plan to build houses that are affordable and a plan to build transit,” Bonnie Crombie said on Tuesday morning in Mississauga. “I left in support of our police, our police chief, we kept taxes low, and we had a vision for the future.”

Among numerous and ardent supporters on Tuesday, Crombie officially entered the mayoral race in the fourth-largest city in Ontario.

And despite the heat and the long delay in filing her papers, there was more heat from the ex-Mississauga mayor.

“What I see now is drift, not direction,” she said. “I see inaction, a lack of leadership. Taxes are higher. In fact, they have increased 14% over the past two years. What we see is increased congestion, increased gridlock. Everything has been at a standstill with so much inaction and inactivity.”



Parrish took to social media earlier to comment on her competition.

“Well well. Bonnie Crombie announced today, at a community BBQ, that Mississauga needs stable leadership. I agree!” Parrish posted on X, sharing a clip of herself and Crombie on CP24 following Parish’s win in 2024, with Crombie congratulating and showing support for her successor.

Crombie stepped down as the city’s mayor in June 2024 to run opposite Premier Doug Ford as the provincial Liberal candidate in the 2025 election. Crombie did not win the election against Ford. She resigned as Liberal leader in January of this year.

Parrish assumed the top chair in Mississauga, winning a by-election in June of ‘24.

Crombie said that affordability, crime, low taxes are key issues she will be running on.

“I do have the experience to bring back affordability,” Crombie said. “I also bring experience and the fiscal discipline that is necessary to get the job done, and I am going to earn back (the voters’) trust. I have experience. I have the leadership and I have the vision and the energy, and I want to provide Mississauga with an affordable future.”


Clashes in the past
She has had numerous public spats with politicians in the past. Ford threw his public support behind Parrish, publicly stating he would “send an army” of supporters to ensure Crombie does not win. At one point, Crombie said Ford was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, so he could not possibly understand the struggles of ordinary Ontarians.

“The premier and I have the same goals and objectives,” Crombie said. “He wants a strong prosperous Ontario, and I want a strong and prosperous Mississauga. He and I have worked very collaboratively in the past, and I know we will again.”

Crombie said the job as mayor is the one she truly desires. And while she did not answer directly if she has any regrets leaving the job for the Ontario Liberals, she did say “this is the better job.”

“I really care deeply about the city, and this is the most important job,” she said. “I am here to stay the course, and I will be here to the end.”

Parrish, Alvin Tedjo, George Tavares, David Shaw, Mike Matulewicz and Rahul Mehta are her opposition in the race at the moment. The race for mayor will be decided on Oct. 26.

Crombie acknowledges she has some fences to mend.

“I know I am not the incumbent, and I know that I am not the front runner, but what I do know is that I have the experience, leadership and I am going to work very hard,” she said.

ganderson@postmedia.com

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/2076106618123497911

Bonnie Crombie eyes return as Mississauga mayor

Bonnie Crombie on Tuesday officially entered the mayoral race in the fourth-largest city in Ontario. Find out more.

torontosun.com

 

[spaminator]

Ex-porn queen elected in Colombia on platform of boosting sexxx-rated creators
'Why can’t a woman who was in the adult industry aspire to a popularly elected office?'

Author of the article:Brad Hunter
Published Jul 24, 2026 • Last updated 19 hours ago • 3 minute read

Former porn star Deyci Alejandra Omana Ortiz has been elected to the senate in Columbia. INSTAGRAM
Former porn star Deyci Alejandra Omana Ortiz has been elected to the senate in Colombia. INSTAGRAM

In Colombia, it appears that a healthy smut eco-system is a meat and potatoes political issue.


Former porn queen-turned-politician Deyci Alejandra Omana Ortiz proved that this week. And in the South American nation, it’s where the rubber meets the road.

Ortiz — who went by Amaranta Hank during her skin-flick days — established as pillars of her campaign the rights of adult-content creators. The 33-year-old was sworn in as a senator for the left-wing Historic Pact party in Bogota on Monday, according to La Opinion.

A former journalist, Ortiz began doffing her duds and appearing in porn flicks in 2017. She left the business three years later after appearing in 26 adult productions.

Former porn star Deyci Alejandra Omana Ortiz has been elected to the senate in Columbia. INSTAGRAM
Former porn star Deyci Alejandra Omana Ortiz has been elected to the senate in Colombia. INSTAGRAM
Since leaving the porn world, Ortiz has focused on politics in her frequently fractious homeland. She was elected in March in the Norte de Santander region and is now working to guarantee social security rights for those in the smut business.

Rights for adult industry
She has claimed adult industry workers need legal protections to prevent exploitation by companies and agencies.


“These women have been unprotected by the state because, due to misinformation, prejudice and double standards, no one has declared to regulate it,” Ortiz argued in one of her campaign videos.

But during her political odyssey, some critics have lambasted her by claiming porn stars — past and present — should be disqualified from running for elected office.

Former porn star Deyci Alejandra Omana Ortiz
Former porn star Deyci Alejandra Omana Ortiz has had a political rebirth.
“Why can’t a woman who was in the adult industry aspire to a popularly elected office?” she said, citing legendary Italian porn star Ilona Staller, better known as Cicciolina (Little Fleshy One). Staller was elected to Italian parliament as a member of the Love Party.

“My experience allowed me to understand inequality, the struggle for freedom and the popular economy, arguments that I now promise to bring directly into legislative debate,” Ortiz said.

“The problem is that society consumes adult films but denies us the possibility of speaking in spaces of power.”

The Historic Pact — the party of outgoing Colombian President Gustavo Petro — is the largest in the state senate, with 25 seats. Ortiz came in 23rd spot in the runoffs.


“I feel embraced by my people,” she said after her election win.

Former porn star Deyci Alejandra Omana Ortiz
Former porn star Deyci Alejandra Omana Ortiz
Other issues in her sights
While the rights of porn stars and sex workers are her paramount concern, she is also demanding higher quality mental health care and measures to help prevent sexual abuse.

“There is a political transformation underway that still has a long way to go but the important thing is that it has already begun in some way,” she said.

Meanwhile, Ortiz’s inspiration, Staller, has been unveiled as the star of British fashion house Vivienne Westwood’s Fall/Winter 2026-27 campaign.

Now 74, Cicciolina was photographed by Juergen Teller.

“The result fills us with joy and pride, and we’re delighted you can’t tell it was shot in 41-degree heat,” creative director Andreas Kronthaler, the late Vivienne Westwood’s longtime partner, said in a statement.

INSPIRATION: The unstoppable Cicciolina. VIVIENNE WESTWOOD/ HANDOUT
INSPIRATION: The unstoppable Cicciolina. VIVIENNE WESTWOOD/ HANDOUT
“The style of the campaign is closely tied to the fact that I now live in Italy. Casting was central to communicating that message, so we wanted Cicciolina to be part of it. I met her for the first time on set and thought she was a wonderful woman, an icon who brings everyone together.”

Born in Hungary, Cicciolina was a popular radio host before entering the porn world. She had long been on the fashion world’s radar with designers such as Jean Paul Gaultier and Jeremy Scott citing her potent “blend of sexuality, humour and kitsch.”

bhunter@postmedia.com

@HunterTOSun

Ilona Staller - Wikipedia

wikipedia.org

Ex-porn queen elected in Colombia on platform of boosting sexxx-rated creators

Deyci Alejandra Omana Ortiz established as pillars of her campaign the rights of adult-content creators. Find out more.

torontosun.com

 

[spaminator]

A vote for a spoiler candidate is a vote for Olivia Chow
Chris Alexander's decision to run for Toronto mayor will only hurt Chow's top contender -- Brad Bradford

Author of the article:Lisa Raitt, Special to Toronto Sun
Published Jul 28, 2026 • 3 minute read

Former federal immigration minister Chris Alexander.
Former federal immigration minister Chris Alexander talks about his plans to run for the Conservative leadership during an editorial board meeting at the Toronto Sun on Tuesday, April 18, 2017. Photo by Dave Abel /Toronto Sun
I grew up in rural Nova Scotia, raised by my grandparents, in a house where you argued politics at the kitchen table and were grateful for work. Cape Breton teaches you two things early: What happens to a community when the economy leaves and how little patience working people have for politicians playing games while it does.


I’ve spent most of my working life in Toronto. Ten years at the Toronto Port Authority, where I started as counsel and worked my way up to harbourmaster, then president and CEO. Then Ottawa as minister of natural resources, labour and transport. These days I work on Bay St. with companies deciding where to invest and for the last five years I’ve co-chaired the Coalition for a Better Future with Anne McLellan, a Liberal, because we both believe growing this country’s economy shouldn’t come with a party membership card. This spring a Liberal prime minister asked me to help advise on Canada-U.S. economic relations. I said yes without blinking. Country over party. Results over jersey colours.


So take what follows in that spirit.

Toronto Councillor Brad Bradford, left, and Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow.
Toronto Councillor Brad Bradford, left, and Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow. Photo by Ernest Doroszuk/Sean Kilpatrick /Toronto Sun/The Canadian Press
Toronto’s troubles cause for concern
Toronto is in trouble. Talk to anyone who’s tried to pull a permit, open a restaurant, move goods across this region or put a shovel in the ground. Ask the family whose home was broken into or the senior who won’t take the subway after dark. It’s never been harder to do business here, to build here or to feel safe here. And when Toronto stalls, Canada stalls. This city is the engine of the national economy.


Now let’s talk about the numbers. In 2023, Olivia Chow became mayor with 37% of the vote. She didn’t win an overwhelming mandate. She won a split because the rest of the city carved itself into a half-dozen pieces. But it worked and she’s the mayor because of it.

This time the race is different. It’s come down to two serious contenders: Chow and Councillor Brad Bradford and the latest public polling puts them nine points apart and closing. For the first time in years, there’s one credible path to change at City Hall.

And now, with less than 90 days to election day, Chris Alexander has entered the race as another option on the right.

I sat around a cabinet table with Alexander. I like him. He hasn’t called to ask what I think, so I’ll offer it here free of charge. I don’t doubt for a second that Alexander sees greater potential in Toronto or that he wants to serve the people of this city humbly and well. But there’s an old truism in politics: Success is about timing. And Alexander simply doesn’t have enough time to beat Chow. No citywide organization, no municipal record and 12 weeks to build both. That’s not a knock on him. It’s just the calendar. His campaign carries one unwanted consequence and only one: Splitting the vote for change and re-electing Chow.


Boost for Chow’s re-election hopes
Here’s what I can’t understand. How does anyone who knows how hard it is to do business in Toronto, to build anything in Toronto or to keep Toronto safe, look at that math and push for a spoiler candidate?

You don’t get to complain about the permits, the gridlock and the crime, then split the only vote that can change the city for the better. Whoever is telling Alexander the city needs him in this race is really telling him the city needs Chow re-elected. I hope he sees that in time.

I’ve spent my career watching Liberals and Conservatives find common ground when it matters. It’s happening again, right now, in this city. Liberals and Tories, businesspeople, builders and police advocates are lining up behind Bradford: A city planner by trade with a real plan, including 1,000 more frontline officers, traffic that moves and a city where you can build again.

This is no time for political games. This is our children’s and grandchildren’s future. This is about protecting what generations before us worked to build. Where I come from, we know what losing a city’s future looks like. Toronto doesn’t have to find out.

— Raitt is a former federal minister of transport, labour and natural resources and a former president and CEO of the Toronto Port Authority. She has officially endorsed Bradford for mayor.

RAITT: A vote for a spoiler candidate is a vote for Olivia Chow

Ex-federal cabinet minister Lisa Raitt says Chris Alexander's decision to run for mayor will only help the embattled incumbent. Read on.

torontosun.com

 

[spaminator]

Chris Alexander enters Toronto mayor’s race, but faces a steep climb
The former Conservative cabinet minister says he will register Wednesday, adding a new dynamic to a race that had appeared headed for a showdown between Olivia Chow and Brad Bradford.

Author of the article:Brian Lilley
Published Jul 29, 2026 • Last updated 17 hours ago • 3 minute read

Former immigration Minister Chris Alexander talks about his plans to run for the Conservative leadership during an editorial board meeting at the Toronto Sun on Tuesday April 18, 2017. Photo by Dave Abel /Dave Abel/Toronto Sun

Chris Alexander is officially entering Toronto’s mayoralty race, saying via text Tuesday night that he will file his papers on Wednesday at City Hall. The former Harper-era Conservative cabinet minister’s name has been floating around the city’s political gossip circles for the past few weeks as a potential candidate.

During a phone call Monday afternoon, Alexander said his mind wasn’t made up, but his voice and enthusiasm hinted at the direction he would take. So why is someone who left elected office 11 years ago, has no municipal experience and hasn’t shown a public interest in municipal affairs suddenly running?

“I’m hearing from a lot of people who aren’t connecting with Brad,” Alexander told me, referring to Councillor Brad Bradford.

Up until now, it looked like the race for the mayor’s chair at city hall would be a head-to-head contest between Bradford and Mayor Olivia Chow. There are currently 32 candidates registered, including Bradford and Chow. None of the others has the name recognition or ground game needed to mount a serious campaign.

Alexander will now be the 33rd candidate, and there will be plenty of questions about his name recognition among Toronto voters.



A strong resume, but a distant political past
After years spent as a diplomat in Moscow, Kabul and at the United Nations, Alexander was elected as the Conservative MP for Ajax in 2011 to help Stephen Harper secure his majority government. He spent a couple of years as parliamentary secretary to the minister of defence and then just shy of two-and-a-half years as minister of citizenship.

During his time in cabinet, Alexander proved to be competent in the job, but there was one action during the 2015 election that continues to haunt him.

Alexander was the face of the party when it announced a tip line, which some called a snitch line, for barbaric cultural practices. The announcement received significant pushback and generated negative headlines, making the Conservatives appear desperate in the dying days of a losing campaign.

The problem for Alexander as he enters the race is that this is what he is best known for, if he is known at all.

chris-alexander new
The challenge of name recognition
That’s not a slight against him. The public’s ability to name and recognize politicians, even elected ones, is quite limited. A recent poll by Pollara found that, among current Carney cabinet members, only four ministers could be named by 3% of the population, and they were all holdovers from the Trudeau era.

Among new ministers, just 1.3% could name Evan Solomon as a minister, and this is a guy who was on national TV for decades before entering politics.

A poll released by ABC Toronto, a municipal activist group looking to clean house at city hall with a new slate of councillors and a new mayor, showed limited support for Alexander. The poll found that 38% would support Chow for mayor, 29% backed Bradford and 30% were undecided.

Support for Alexander registered at 3%.




A late start in a difficult race
With just 90 days to turn things around and build enough support to defeat Chow, Alexander faces an uphill battle. In the 2023 byelection that put Chow in office to replace John Tory, Bradford received just 1.2% of the vote, despite having served on council for five years at that point.

Alexander is a bright guy and a serious policy wonk, but entering the race this late, with no municipal profile, is a major hurdle. His former cabinet colleague Lisa Raitt has already written an op-ed encouraging him not to run, arguing that Alexander’s candidacy would only benefit Chow.

Toronto can’t afford another four years of Olivia Chow.

LILLEY: Chris Alexander enters Toronto mayor’s race, but faces a steep climb

The former MP and diplomat says he’s hearing voters want another option, but he starts the campaign facing significant hurdles. Read on.

torontosun.com