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Mr. Pantalone lives in Trinity-Spadina, a seat the NDP holds in Ottawa, with Olivia Chow, and at Queen’s Park, with Rosario Marchese. He said he could easily run in another part of town.

“My profile has always been city-wide,” he said. “I always stood for integrity, competence and hard work.”

Mr. Pantalone lost four bids for municipal election before winning in 1980, and lost one bid for a provincial seat, in 1987. He has won 10 times, municipally, before losing the 2010 mayoral race.

That is a lot of elections. He is in no rush to jump back into the electoral fray; when a reporter reached him on the telephone, he said he was sitting in his home on Beatrice Street, enjoying the afternoon sun. He would prefer to work in the private or public sector as an employee, he said.

“There’s many ways to contribute,” he said. “I’d like to move from active politician to an éminence grise.”

At least he is carrying no financial baggage. Having raised close to $1-million for the mayoral race, he ended with $55,000 in debt. Last week Mr. Pantalone threw a $250 per plate fundraiser at Gossip restaurant, at Exhibition Place, “which paid it off,” he said.

Sarah Thomson, the Women’s Post

publisher who contested the mayoral prize, said Thursday that she is a member of both the Liberals and the Progressive Conservatives, and remains interested in seeking public office — just not immediately.

“I promised my husband I won’t even think about it until my fundraising debt is paid off,” she said. “The Harmony Dinner [a fundraiser co-chaired by former premiers Mike Harris and David Peterson, and former Ontario PC leader John Tory] raised about $102,000 for us.” So many people showed up that she had to give up her own seat, she said. “I just traveled around. I never got dinner. But the campaign taught me how to survive these things. You have toast before you go.”