TORONTO

It could be an embarrassing case of premature election campaigning.

Porn star Nikki Benz tried to register to run for Toronto’s top office on Wednesday but quickly got wrapped in City Hall’s red tape.

Benz — who was raised in Etobicoke but now works in Los Angeles — had paperwork issues when she arrived at the city’s election services office to sign up to run against Mayor Rob Ford and dozens of other candidates vying to win the mayor’s race.

City officials wouldn’t accept Benz’s expired Ontario driver’s licence as proof of address.

It wasn’t immediately clear when or if she’d be back to officially throw her hat in the ring.

Before getting a rough ride from city bureaucrats, Benz told reporters she wants to run for mayor because she’d do a “great job at running the city.”

“If Rob Ford can do it, I can do it,” Benz said.

The adult film star and producer said, if elected, she would work to “bring the adult film industry to Toronto.”

“It would generate a lot of profit for the city,” she said.

“I would fix the whole situation with transit ... and I would definitely lower property taxes.”

Asked who her biggest competition is, Benz said it’s the embattled incumbent.

“He’s definitely the underdog, I know (Ford’s) ratings just recently went down but I do feel like he has a very good chance to get re-elected,” she said.

Benz said she’s never met Ford but would like to meet him.

“If he is not opposed to meeting me, I don’t see why not,” she said.