TTC chair hints at mayoral run in video

Toronto Transit Commission chair Adam Giambrone has released a flippant YouTube video that all but declares his intention to jump into the race to replace Mayor David Miller.

Thevideo, entitled I'm Ready, begins with a shot of Giambrone stretching. The shot is accompanied by a voiceover that says: "Mayors aren't made in a day. It takes years of physical and mental training to prove you have what it takes to run a city."

Much of the remaining 70-odd seconds show Giambrone doing jumping jacks, pushups and running up stairs ostensibly a depiction of the "physical and mental training" requiredto be mayor.

He is shownpractisingcampaign lines, notably spoofing slogans made famous by both Barack Obama ("Change you can believe in") and BillClinton ("It's Transit City, stupid"). He also makes reference to Miller's 2003 mayoral victory, hoisting a broom in jest over his head.

The YouTube video concludes with Giambrone declaring: "I'm ready."

It has been widely rumoured that the 32-year-old would take a run at the mayor's chair this year. Those rumours intensified earlier this week when Giambrone sent out invitations to a Monday eveningevent at the Revival club on College St.

The event,labelled "Celebrate Toronto with Adam Giambrone," was billed as "a night full of celebration and excitement." He is expected to announce his candidacy at the event.

The release of the video comes one day after Giambrone said the TTC owes its riders "an apology for customer service that has not lived up to expectations."

The TTC has had its share of negative publicity in recent months. The commission saw a big jump in complaints over the last year, thanks in part to issues like a fare hike, a shortage of tokens and service problems.

Most recently, a picture of a TTC collector who appeared to be sleeping on the job went viral on the internet last week, prompting widespread public outrage.

Giambrone's apparent candidacy puts him in a mayoralrace that hasfour major players:

• Coun. Giorgio Mammoliti.
• Deputy Mayor Joe Pantalone.
• Former Liberal Party director Rocco Rossi.
• Former deputy premier George Smitherman.