With 80 per cent of polls reporting, Mr. Ford took almost 50 per cent of the vote, compared to 33 per cent for former Ontario deputy premier George Smitherman and 11 per cent for third-place finisher Joe Pantalone, the current deputy mayor.
Early results also indicated major shakeups on council, with numerous incumbents under threat.
Polls closed just after 8 p.m. ET Monday in a series of contested municipal races in Toronto, Ottawa, London, Hamilton, Windsor and other major Ontario cities.
Many experts had predicted that a Ford victory could herald a conservative sweep in next fall's Ontario election.
Throughout the Toronto mayoral campaign, Ford stuck to his now-famous four-word slogan: 'Stop the Gravy Train'...