In May 2014, Benz announced her candidacy to run for mayor of the Canadian city of Toronto via her Twitter account. She decided to fight against Rob Ford for Toronto mayor. The announcement was subsequently covered by the Huffington Post, TMZ, and in a Playboy.com interview. The news also gained international attention via Yahoo France, Britain and Finland. On May 28, 2014, Benz tried to submit her application to run for Mayor of Toronto but the city would not accept her application because her Ontario driver's license had already expired. It was not known at the time whether she would reapply to run for mayor. In the Playboy interview, Benz discussed various campaign issues including gay rights, economic stimulation for the city, and public transportation. Her platform included supporting and raising funds for the Downtown Relief Line, a proposed addition to Toronto's mass transit system. She also commented on former mayor Rob Ford's substance abuse and his break from campaigning while he attends to his drug rehabilitation. Ford was videotaped twice smoking what appeared to be a crack pipe and later admitted to using the illegal substance. In the interview, Benz cited her honesty and transparency, her love of her [home town] city, and concern for its people. She also vowed to donate half of her salary as mayor to a cause chosen by its citizens.