"It’s clear Mr. Ford is sick," wrote
Chow in a statement posted on her website Thursday morning. "He has serious substance abuse problems. I am sure everyone in our city joins me in extending hopes for him as a person to recover from this sickness."
Her lip service to Ford's troubled life of late, however, was quickly abbreviated to state her willingness to succeed him in a civic election to be held Oct. 27.
"As a mayor, however, he had his chance," she wrote. "The appropriate course now is for voters to choose a new mayor."
Chow posted the statement in the wake of what she calls sexist remarks made by Ford about her and city councilor
Karen Stintz that were documented earlier this week in a Toronto newspaper. She used the incident as part of her opening statement.
"I was particularly angered by his offensive comments about women," Chow wrote. "It is long past time we had a mayor who respected the dignity of everyone in our city."
On Wednesday, Ford announced he was taking a
leave of absence to seek help.
