Recently revealed voting results from the Toronto election show a wealth of Rob Ford support in the suburban centres, while much of the downtown area supported George Smitherman.

The outcome of Toronto’s mayoral race was highly predictable, associate professor of political science at the University of Toronto Nelson Wiseman told thedailyplanet.com.

“You could predict that the suburbs would vote for Ford,” he said.

A significant factor in how voters were divided was the proportion of suburban voters versus voters in the downtown area, he said.

Toronto city hall. Photo courtesy Shky\Flickr

“Their lifestyles and their needs are more similar to what Rob Ford represents.”

An August report in the Toronto Star highlighted where each of the candidates lived and provided a stark contrast between the candidates and their lifestyles, said Wiseman.

“Most significant were the photographs of [the homes of] the five leading candidates,” he said.

The Star's report showed most of the candidates living in expensive homes, while Ford’s Etobicoke bungalow was also depicted, said Wiseman.

Ford and Smitherman were basically campaigning in two different cities, the Star reported.

That dynamic tells the story of the election, because you can identify with which homes resemble yours and who has the same concerns you have, Wiseman said.

“I think it’s political geography,” he added.

Another key indicator is the 2003 Toronto election featuring David Miller, John Tory and Barbara Hall, said Wiseman.

“There wasn’t a suburban candidate,” he said.

The closest candidate was Miller who lived in the High Park area, Wiseman said.

That was indicative of a relational dynamic between the candidate and their support base, he said.

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