TORONTO — Ailing Toronto Mayor Rob Ford’s dramatic decision to drop his re-election bid opened a new chapter in the saga, as his tough-talking but less magnetic brother runs in his place and brings his own storied past into the scandal-laden campaign.

Analysts say this latest chapter may be short-lived, with Doug Ford’s candidacy unlikely to change the outcome of the mayoral election. Rob Ford had been expected to lose after a string of revelations involving crack-smoking, public drunkenness and outrageous behavior.

Both Ford brothers have been prominent in Toronto politics over the past four years but Doug Ford, now a city councilor, has mostly played the role of fiery defender of his younger brother, taking on Toronto’s police chief and even author Margaret Atwood as the controversies multiplied.

Rob Ford, 45, announced his decision to drop out of the race Friday, two days after he was hospitalized for abdominal pain and the tumor was discovered. Biopsy results won’t be back for a week and a definitive diagnosis is pending.

“I stand here with mixed emotions and a very heavy heart. First and foremost I am concerned about my brother,” said Doug Ford, who was surrounded by family members outside the Ford family home hours after registering his candidacy. He will face two other major contenders on Oct. 27.