Familiar faces gearing up for Toronto byelections

With less than four weeks to go before a series of provincial byelections, the candidates seeking a seat in Toronto are scrambling to get their message out to voters and their faces known to the public.

In Toronto, a handful of experienced politicians have thrown their name into the mix of candidates seeking a seat at Queen's Park.

In the east Toronto riding of Scarborough-Guildwood, former Toronto Transit Commission chair andone-time mayoral candidate Adam Giambrone will represent the NDP in the upcoming provincial byelection.

The former Ward 18 Davenportcouncillor, who has never lived in the riding he's seeking to represent, won the nomination in a vote on Sunday.

Giambrone will face Liberal candidate Mitzie Hunter and Progressive Conservative candidate Ken Kirupa in the Aug. 1 vote, one of five taking place in the province that day.

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"I'm going to do my best over the next three weeks to convince the residents of Scarborough-Guildwood that I should be their MPP, and all the information is out there and they'll make that choice," said Giambrone.

Giambrone dropped out of the 2010 Toronto mayoral race after admitting he had an "inappropriate relationship" with a woman who claimed they had sex in his city hall office.

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said Giambrone is a strong candidate who will deliver results for families.

Across the city in Etobicoke-Lakeshore, two current city councillorsDoug Holyday and Peter Milczyn are seeking the same seat.

Holyday is running for the Progressive Conservatives, Milczyn is running for the Liberals. P.C. Choo, who is not a city councillor, is the NDP candidate in that riding.

On Monday, Holyday officially opened his campaign office, an event that was attended by Ontario PC Leader Tim Hudak, as well as Mayor Rob Ford and Coun. Doug Ford.

Hudak said he had asked Holyday to run for the Progressive Conservatives because he was someone "who knows how to get the job done" for his constituents and Ontarians.

The five seats up for grabs in the Aug. 1 byelections were made vacant by the departure of five Liberal MPPs in recent months.

Outside of the two seats in Toronto, there are also byelections taking place in London, Windsor and Ottawa.