Wednesday night’s torrential downpour likely kept many citizens from attending the first candidates debate in Ward 4 — but it wasn’t why Coun. Stephen Orser missed it.

The two-term politician, a divisive figure in parts of the ward, particularly Old East Village, notified organizers days ago he wouldn’t be there. He cited his planned attendance at Justin Trudeau’s Thursday morning speech in London as the reason.

So a crowd of about 75 watched three hopefuls — Jesse Helmer, Fiona Graham and Paul Pesach Gray — answer questions from organizers and citizens.

One man — saying he thought “this was an ALL-candidates debate” — asked what the trio thought of Orser’s absence. Gray did not hold back.

“If he’s so concerned about the ward, he would be here,” Gray said to applause. “If he thought his record was so great . . . he’d be here to defend it.”

Graham, a friend of Orser’s, acknowledged she switched into his ward race last week after initially seeking the downtown seat. Of his absence, she said: “It doesn’t bother me a bit.”

Helmer, an articulate 34-year-old who may be Orser’s biggest threat, simply said: “It’s a mistake” to miss the debate.

Orser had plenty of critics when he sought a second term in 2010, and he succeeded then, beating a strong candidate in Greg Thompson.