Federal MP Olivia Chow would win every multiple-candidate match-up in a mayoral election, no matter who was running against her, according to a poll conducted by Forum Research Inc. hours after Mayor Rob Ford was removed from office.

The poll also found that 60 per cent of Torontonians agreed with the decision to turf Ford from the mayor’s chair for breaking provincial conflict of interest law, even as support among his core base remained unshakeable.

The phone poll of 807 residents Monday evening asked people to choose the frontrunner in a number of “trial heats” involving various combinations of Rob Ford, councillors Adam Vaughan and Shelley Carroll, deputy mayor Doug Holyday, the mayor’s brother Doug Ford, and Chow.

The survey found that in every four-way combination in which Chow was part of the mix, Chow — who has yet to declare any intention to run — drew about 40 per cent of the support, enough to beat her opponents. (Another wild card, John Tory, was tested against others but not Chow.) The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 per cent, 19 times out of 20.

“Her appeal is pretty broad. She has huge name recognition and she has done well federally. She is almost an iconic figure,” said Lorne Bozinoff, president of Forum Research. “She is the giant-killer, the elephant in the room.”

In addition to winning any race with Ford in it, the poll also suggests she would beat councillor Doug Ford if he ran for mayor.

“It’s not clear to me if the mayor could run again or not in a by-election, and that’s why we took different alternatives,” said Bozinoff.

The mayor has had 40 per cent support over the past few months.

“The people who are not supporters of his are never going to be supporters, so the only impact of this case has to be on his supporters,” said Bozinoff. “But Ford Nation has been amazingly loyal, and they seem to stick with him through thick or thin.

“The initial first blush is that Ford Nation seems to be taking it in stride.”

In the ruling that sent shock waves through the city Monday morning, Justice Charles Hackland said Ford broke the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act by voting at council in February to absolve himself of the need to repay $3,150 he improperly solicited from lobbyists for his private football foundation.

The poll also found that 35 per cent of respondents believe that there should be a by-election, while 28 per cent think Holyday should be appointed to finish the term. The respondents were split (49 per cent to 47 per cent) on whether the mayor should be allowed to run in a by-election.

Nearly two-thirds of those polled agree Mayor Ford has brought his recent negative publicity upon himself (61 per cent), a number that has increased more than 5 points in just 10 days. One-third think the mayor has been victimized by the media.

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