Chris Alexander exits Toronto mayoral race as advance polls open

Chris Alexander suspended his Toronto mayoral campaign Tuesday morning, hours before advance polls opened, saying he couldn't see a path to victory.

Alexander registered to run in July, positioning himself as a third option against incumbent Olivia Chow and councillor Brad Bradford. But polls haven't moved in over two months despite his campaign's efforts. A Liaison Strategies poll released Tuesday showed Chow at 48 percent and Bradford at 40 percent, leaving Alexander at just 9 percent.

"I just don't see us catching up, I don't see that path," Alexander told reporters Tuesday morning. "With three weeks to go that would be very hard to do."

He apologized to supporters who planned to vote for him. "It would have been irresponsible to pretend that we are in a different place," he said. Alexander said he plans to return to the private sector, advising companies and sitting on boards, though he wouldn't rule out a political role in the future. He is not endorsing another candidate.

Alexander's withdrawal leaves Chow and Bradford as the two leading candidates with less than three weeks until election day on October 26. Advance voting runs through October 11, and election day is October 26.