The chief adviser on Karen Stintz’s now-defunct mayoral campaign says he and four other key volunteers are moving their support to John Tory.

“I am supporting John Tory and I will play any role in his campaign that he wants,” veteran Conservative politico Paul Brown said in an interview Friday, a day after Stintz, the former TTC chair, announced she was ending her campaign.

Brown struck up a friendship with Stintz when she first ran for council in 2003, worked on that campaign and acted as her unofficial mayoral campaign chair who brought together a team of experienced advisers.

Those going with him to the Tory camp, Brown said, are Stintz’s policy director Chris Loreto (a former Ontario Conservative political staffer), adviser Cal Bricker (a veteran Conservative backroomer, chief adviser Bev Hammond (a former adviser to Ernie Eves) and campaign co-director Peter Zakarow (an executive and longtime Conservative).

Brown said all authorized him on Thursday night to announce the move.

“I think it signifies the views of a number of individuals who have a long history in politics, who want fiscal accountability, getting transit built, protecting green space, that John can do that,” Brown said.

“One of Karen’s strengths is that she was able to work across council lines, on funding for transit for example, and John is the kind of guy who can lead that kind of coalition at council.”

Asked why he and the others didn’t support Tory when he registered to run on the same day as Stintz, Brown said he is a close friend of Stintz and she would have made a great mayor if the race had not included “three celebrity candidates” who got the most media and public attention.

“Sometimes your chosen candidate isn’t going to get the final ballot and then you have to say, ‘Am I going to sit on my hands? If not, who do I support?’ ”

Tory campaign co-chair Bob Richardson said, “We’re obviously delighted to have the support of the senior people in the Karen Stintz campaign and we look forward to working them.”

A Forum Research opinion poll conducted Aug. 5-6 suggested Tory, a former radio host and Ontario PC leader, is leading the marathon race, followed closely by former NDP MP Olivia Chow, then Mayor Rob Ford, and far back former city councillor David Soknacki and Stintz.

Tory appeared to have gained ground over the summer after consistently trailing Chow in previous opinion polls. But many voters do not pay close attention to civic elections until the final weeks of the campaign.

The election is Oct. 27.

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