A challenge for the Mayor's office fizzles out before it starts.
Furniture retail kingpin Blayne Lastman says he won't compete this fall for John Tory's job, after all.
It was on Wednesday that sources confirmed to NEWSTALK 1010 that Lastman would file his election paperwork at city hall on Thursday, then lay out plans for his campaign.
Lastman was said to be eager to follow in the footsteps of his father, Mel, who is a former longtime mayor of North York and served as Mayor of Toronto for almost 6 years.
In a written statement, the head and television face of Bad Boy Furniture Warehouse calls the last week 'an emotional roller coaster.'
"While I am overwhelmed by the support I have received, my decision not to run is in the best interest of my family, my business and of course, the great City of Toronto," Lastman says.
In an interview with NEWSTALK 1010's Moore in the Morning, Lastman bristles at the suggestion his flirtation with politics was intended to get his company's name in the news.
He insists that he decided not enter the race for Mayor when he realised that if he did jump into public life, his private life would never be the same.
"I just felt, at this time, it (running for office) would be a toll on my family, a toll on the business," he says.
"I wanted it but I wasn't sleeping every night until I made a decision."
Lastman says its one he reached in the wee hours of Thursday morning.
"Our city faces many concerns including crime and gridlock. I am well aware of the commitment that John Tory has made to the city and I offer him my full support."