Moscoe in for the long election haul

[attach]1857[/attach]Howard Moscoe is again refuting rumours that he will drop out of the municipal election race now that area MPP Mike Colle’s son has announced his candidacy for the Ward 15 council seat.

“Not going anywhere,” Moscoe said Wednesday. “The more opponents I have, the better it is for me. It splits up the anti-Moscoe vote. I’d like another 10 opponents.”

Although Moscoe has repeatedly said he’s in the race to win, speculation ignited anew when Josh Colle announced that he too would be running for the Eglinton-Lawrence seat.

Colle, a former Catholic school board trustee, denied as late as April that he would be seeking office.

The Colles have also had a friendly relationship with Moscoe, leading some to speculate the longtime councillor might be stepping aside in order to hand over the reigns in the ward.

But despite the fact he’s staying in the race, Moscoe welcomed Colle’s entrance.

“It’s democracy. Everybody has the opportunity to run and I’m glad I finally have a high quality opponent – that would be a refreshing experience for me,” said Moscoe. “I had to run three times before I got elected – that’s part of the electoral process.

“If (Colle) hangs on long enough someday he’ll eventually be the councillor for my ward… I think someday he’ll make an excellent representative.”

Back in April, when it was rumoured that Moscoe might step aside to let one of his daughters run, council’s longest-serving member made it clear that he’s in the race for the long haul.

“If you die in office, they name a park after you,” he joked in April.

He confirmed Wednesday that he would like a Toronto park, and not a provincial park, named after him.