Hot News: Rob Ford on Olivia Chow joining mayoral race: That's 'the best news I've heard ...

With the race to take his job finally beginning in earnest, Mayor Rob Ford welcomed news that Olivia Chow is officially joining the 2014 mayoral campaign, saying it's 'the best news I've heard all day.'

At a Toronto Community Housing building near Yonge and Bloor streets Wednesday morning, Mayor Ford dismissed any threat from the federal New Democrat, who is registering for the mayor's race on Thursday.

'They won't be stealing my vote, guaranteed,' he said of the Chow campaign.

Mayor Ford dismissed suggestions Ms. Chow will be a threat to win over parts of the 'Ford Nation' vote.

'No way Jose, it's not happening, we're solid. We're solid.'

Mayor Ford, who has focused much of his campaign energy on inspecting problem rental buildings, was on his third straight day of tours.

Ms. Chow's campaign says she will also appeal to the blue collar, regular folk voters. Chow's campaign launch will stress her personal story, growing up in Toronto as the daughter of struggling immigrant parents.

Chow resigned her seat in Parliament on Wednesday and said she was proud of the work she did as an NDP MP.

She will formally launch her mayoral campaign at St. Simon-the-Apostle Church at 11 a.m. Thursday in the inner city Toronto neighbourhood in which she grew up, St. James Town.

Chow is considered a front-runner in the already crowded field that includes Ford, one-time provincial Progressive Conservative leader and failed mayoral candidate John Tory, city councillor Karen Stintz and former councillor David Soknacki.

A recent poll by Forum Research had Chow and Ford statistically tied for the lead, followed closely by Tory.

As the de facto left candidate in a race filled with centre-right candidates, Chow's opponents have been quick to paint her as a 'tax and spend' liberal.

'With respect to Ms. Chow, she's never met a public dollar she couldn't spend,' Amanda Galbraith, a spokesperson for Tory, said Wednesday. 'We welcome the contrast with John who is committed to keeping taxes low and building a more liveable, affordable, functional city.'

Jamey Heath, who will be communications director for Chow's campaign, says the former city councillor will be the only progressive contender in the already crowded race. Chow is not expected to release a full policy platform immediately, but rather to outline broad political values and place emphasis on her personal story.

Heath predicts she will appeal to people across the political spectrum, including the blue-collar folks who supported Ford's no-nonsense populism but who can be persuaded it's time for a change following Ford's admitted 'drunken stupors' and use of crack cocaine.

'We think there are two candidates who can appeal to sort of blue collar, regular voters in Toronto, one of whom is Rob Ford and one of whom is Olivia Chow,'' Heath said in an interview with The Canadian Press.

'We don't see John Tory being able to connect with them. We think Olivia can.'

I welcome @ oliviachow to the race. Like many, my family came for opportunity. But voters are looking for viable ideas, not the past. #topoli- David Soknacki (@DavidSoknacki) March 12, 2014

'She had a modest upbringing. She doesn't just talk about public transit, she uses public transit. She's used it all her life,' Heath said.

Chow's campaign will involve New Democrats like Heath and Brian Topp, who were key to late husband Jack Layton's success in the federal arena.

But it will be headed by veteran Conservative strategist John Laschinger, who masterminded David Miller's successful mayoral campaigns, while her war room will be run by Warren Kinsella, a well-known Liberal who has worked on both federal and provincial campaigns. Kinsella writes a column for the Toronto Sun, one of the only news organizations Mayor Ford will speak with one-on-one.

Chow has already won endorsements from other non-New Democrats, including former Ontario Liberal cabinet minister and one-time mayoral contender George Smitherman.

Heath said Chow intends to make the case that it's time for a change after the international headlines garnered by Ford's escapades.

'The disappointment with Rob Ford in Toronto is profound and our campaign is going to speak to that disappointment.'

However, she'll make the case in terms of policy, not personal attacks on the mayor's character.

'It's one of the challenges of our campaign in that if the only case that is ever made against Rob Ford is personal scandal, then it leaves the impression that he would otherwise be a good mayor,' Heath said.

'We don't agree with that. We think the choices that he's made as mayor have been the wrong choices and our campaign can and will present alternate choices,' he added, declining to disclose specifics at this point.

Chow served as a city councillor from 1991 until she was elected to the House of Commons in 2006.

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