Doug Ford mulling bid for Ontario PC leadership

The day after Doug Ford failed to reach his goal of becoming Toronto's next mayor, he didn't sound like someone who was closing the door on political life.

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Ford came in second at the polls on Monday evening, taking slightly more than a third of the ballots cast for mayor. John Tory carried 40 per cent of the vote, which made him the mayor-elect.

"I just want to thank all the people, just for all their support and their belief and that's what means more to our family than anything, are the people supporting us," Ford said Tuesday, during an interview with CBC News, in which he admitted to eyeing a possible run for leadership of the provincial Progressive Conservatives.

"I felt like I let them down by not being able to carry the ball across the finish line and that's what hurts me the most, it really does," Ford added, before going on to make a reference to potentially doing "a better job next time."

Asked if he was talking about four years from now, Ford said "maybe, maybe sooner, who knows."

Ford jumped into Toronto's mayoral race at the last minute, after his brother Mayor Rob Ford withdrew from the contest due to illness.

'Don't bleep it up'

Doug Ford also revealed Tuesday that he had delivered some advice to John Tory.

"I said John, you know, first of all, 'congratulations.' I said, 'you know, we've left this city in phenomenal financial shape, don't bleep it up,'" Ford said. "I put the bleep in there, but he broke out laughing."

But Ford said he respected the result at the polls and Tory himself.

"I respect him, I respect the people of Toronto and I respect democracy and the people have spoken and they're moving forward," he said.

While Ford won't be on council for the next four years, his brother Rob Ford will be back as a councillor in Ward 2. And their nephew, Michael Ford, will be a school trustee.

Asked about his brother's election-night hint of taking another run at the mayor's office in four years' time, Doug Ford said, "I think Rob was caught up in the moment … I think it's a little premature to say that, that's just my opinion, but we'll see what happens," he said.

'Like a dog on a bone'

In any case, he said Rob Ford will be watching the mayor-elect carefully over the coming term.

"Rob will be supporting John in certain areas, and I guess if [the mayor-elect] slides off course a little bit and starts spending money, well, there's no doubt Rob's going to be on to him like a dog on a bone," he said. "I know that for a fact."

Doug Ford said he'll likely go back to Deco Labels and Tags, the family business, for the time being.

"I got some texts from our [Deco] New Jersey offices and Chicago saying: 'Toronto's loss, our gain,'" he said.

But that doesn't mean he's opposed to a future political bid — and he admits to considering the possibility of running for the Ontario PC leadership.

"It has crossed my mind and I truly believe the PC Party has a lot of work to do," he said.

"They've lost track of their roots, they've lost track of the common people and if they ever want to run the provincial government again, there has to be a housecleaning from top to bottom. It's the same people that were there before my dad was there, the same small group and it's just not going to work."

Rob and Doug Ford's father, Douglas B. Ford, served as a member of the Ontario Legislature for a single term from 1995 to 1999.