In open London-area riding, Tories lining up to seek nomination

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With time running out, several candidates are reportedly chasing the Conservative nomination for a longtime federal Tory seat in the London area.

Wednesday at 5 p.m. was the deadline for candidates to file their nomination papers to run for the Tory nomination in Elgin-Middlesex-London, where veteran Conservative MP Karen Vecchio is stepping down ahead of the next federal election.

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The redrawn riding will be renamed Elgin-St. Thomas-London South in the next Parliament.

“I can tell you that there’s one person who is fairly been public (and) there are as many as three other applications,” said Bradley Clift, vice-president of the Conservative riding association.

One candidate is Andrew Lawton, a broadcaster, author and journalist.

“Lawton has been fighting for freedom and conservative values his whole career,” his website states. “Now, he wants to take that fight to Ottawa to be your voice in Parliament as the Conservative MP for Elgin-St. Thomas-London South.”

Lawton, who is married to London Free Press reporter Jennifer Bieman, previously ran unsuccessfully for Ontario’s Progressive Conservatives in London West in the 2018 election.

Anthony Shields, a retired military veteran who grew up in Elgin County, also has stated his intention to run for the vacant seat.

“I had planned a quiet retirement; however, I see a need for strong representation by an experienced professional who is deeply invested in the success of the riding,” Shield’s website states.

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Clift wouldn’t name each applicant because he couldn’t say whether the other applications had been finalized, adding: “There is a chance they’re not complete in time, or the person decides not to complete and submit it.”

It could be as late as next week before the party knows for sure who all the candidates are, said Clift.

A vote among the party’s membership to select the nominee would happen before Nov. 25, a deadline based on the federal Conservatives closing notice, Clift said.

“We are definitely hoping to have a nomination, whether or not that means that there’s two candidates or there’s as many as four,” Clift said. “That way, at least what could be the next MP for our riding is at least voted on by the membership of the riding.”

The seat, held by the Tories for two decades, is up for grabs in the next federal election after three-time elected Conservative MP Karen Vecchio announced in July she wouldn’t be seeking re-election. The Tories have held the seat since 2004 when St. Thomas’ Mayor Joe Preston won three terms before Vecchio took over in 2015.

Along with the riding’s new name are new boundaries

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The new boundaries exclude Thames Centre, a municipality east of London that includes Dorchester and Thorndale.

The mostly rural and small-town riding still spans the entire length of Elgin County, comprising St. Thomas, and carries north to include Lambeth and parts of London south of Exeter Road. The riding also encompasses communities such as Port Stanley, Aylmer and Dutton Dunwich.

The next federal election is scheduled for October 2025 but could happen sooner if an election is triggered by a non-confidence vote for Justin Trudeau’s minority Liberal government.

bwilliams@postmedia.com
@BrianWatLFPress
The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada

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