Young hopeful Daniel DeVito eyes Vaughan’s mayoral seat

A "politician in the works," DeVito is only 28 but wants to see more transparency in the local hospital project, better transit and a voice for young voters.

Thestar.com
Oct. 8, 2014
By Noor Javed

What happens when you are 28 years old and you tell your friends you are running for mayor of Vaughan?

First, they ask if you’re kidding. When you say no, they laugh.

It was only when Daniel DeVito’s pals saw him attending candidate events and discussing his platform with constituents that they realized he was serious.

“A lot of my friends thought it was a bit of joke when I told them I was running,” said DeVito. “They know me as a guy who gets things done, and they know I am serious about politics. So it made sense to them, too,” said DeVito - who may or may not be related to the Hollywood actor who shares his name. (“It has been suggested by family members that he is potentially a distant relative, but it’s not certain.”)

DeVito calls himself a “politician in the works.” He studied political science at York University and was involved in current mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua’s winning campaign in 2010.

“After going through the process of the campaigning and being at the forefront of the current mayor’s campaign, I realized I could just as easily do this for myself,” he said.

DeVito says he will press for more transparency around the Vaughan hospital project if he is mayor, and will push to have the hospital ready before its 2019 deadline. He will also work to establish more public transit routes and push for the Highway 427 extension.

But unlike his main rivals, a big part of his platform is reaching out to young voters.

“I desperately want to get the youth involved in the electoral process,” he said, and “help create a city that is accessible, affordable and accountable to them.”

Despite being rivals, he says he is on good terms with Bevilacqua. The mayor is running for a second term in office on the platform that he has brought in an era of good governance years after Vaughan council became known for infighting, corruption and mismanagement.

“I’m glad he’s running,” Bevilacqua said of his young opponent. “I understand what he’s trying to achieve. He wants to get his name out. Good for him.”

The other two mayoral candidates are Paul Donofrio and Savino Quatela.