Toronto Mayor Rob Ford , hospitalized this week after the discovery of an abdominal tumor , has decided not to seek re-election . At the advice of his doctors and family , Ford said he will focus on getting better . `` My heart is heavy when I tell you that I 'm unable to continue my campaign for re-election as your mayor , '' the controversial politician said in a statement Friday . Ford 's term officially ends December 1 . `` People know me as a guy who faces things head on and never gives up , and as your mayor I have done just that , '' Ford said . `` Now I could be facing a battle of my lifetime , and I want the people of Toronto to know that I intend to face this challenge head on , and win . '' Ford asked his brother , Doug Ford , to run for mayor in the October 27 balloting . `` He told me that he needed me to take the torch while he focuses on getting better , '' Doug Ford said at a press conference Friday evening outside his mother 's home . `` He told me he could n't bear the thought of city hall returning to the old days at the expense of the good , honest , everyday people , '' he said . Doug Ford , who has been one of the mayor 's strongest supporters during the controversies that have plagued him , said he is honoring his brother 's request and would have more details next week about his own campaign for mayor . The president of Humber River Hospital said Wednesday that the mayor -- just over two months removed from treatment for substance abuse -- has been admitted to the hospital , where doctors will try to get `` a definitive diagnosis . '' `` It is being investigated further and we need to determine exactly what type of tumor it is , and then we can decide on what type of treatment is required , '' said Dr. Rueben Devlin , the Toronto hospital 's president . According to Devlin , Ford has been `` complaining of abdominal pains '' for over three months that got worse over the last 24 hours . That prompted the mayor to go the hospital , where a CT scan revealed the tumor in his abdomen . It 's not known yet if the tumor is malignant , according to Devlin . The health ailment adds to the list of struggles facing Ford , whose fall from grace began in May 2013 with the release of a cell phone video that appeared to show him smoking crack cocaine . The Toronto city council largely stripped him of his mayoral powers months later over those and other allegations of bad behavior . Ford did n't back down , though , instead vowing `` outright war '' on the city council . The mayor apologized for `` a lot of stupid things , '' including having used crack cocaine , but he refused to resign or enter rehab . In fact , despite all the criticism and his becoming a punchline for jokes in Canada as well as the United States , Ford launched a bid for re-election . This past spring , after a local newspaper reported on a new video that allegedly shows him smoking crack cocaine , Ford relented on one front : by going into rehab . He returned to work in late June , after a two-month rehab stint , saying he was `` ashamed , embarrassed and humiliated '' by some of his past actions . But he refused to resign or refrain from campaigning , saying to the voters of Toronto , `` I look forward to serving you for many , many more years . '' 'Ashamed , embarrassed ' Rob Ford returns as Toronto mayor after rehab .
Doug Ford says he 's honoring his brother Rob 's request to run for mayor . Rob Ford withdraws from mayoral race after tumor is found . It 's not known if the tumor is malignant or how it will be treated . The mayor has been dogged by his substance abuse .