Chow leads latest polls as Ford's approval plummets

As Olivia Chow's polling numbers improve, Rob Ford continues to take a dive according to a new survey by Forum Research. The mayor's approval rating has dropped to just 28 per cent, down from 32 percent in May and the over 40 per cent he had carried for months leading up to crack tape number two. According to the Toronto Star, this latest number is as low as Ford's rating has been since he was elected in 2010.

While John Tory leads candidates with a 68 per cent approval rating, followed closely by Chow at 64 per cent, when it comes to who people plan to vote for, the former Toronto councillor and MP continues to extend her margin over Tory. 38 per cent of respondents indicated they'd vote for Chow, followed 28 per cent for Tory, 20 per cent for Ford. David Soknacki and Karen Stintz continue to be non-factors in the race, at least statistically.

The Star is quick to point out that voter demographics might favour Tory (he's generally more popular with a segment of the population who makes sure to cast its vote), but it would appear that he's not been able to convert Ford's sagging popularity into support for his campaign. Perhaps the biggest question is whether or not Ford will have enough time after his planned return from rehab to restore his numbers. It's starting to look that's going to be even more difficult than first imagined.

Photo by Roger Cullman in the blogTO Flickr pool