Party leaders’ visit highlights area as a potential election battleground

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Ontario Premier Doug Ford and NDP leader Andrea Horwath both brought their campaigns to Essex County Thursday re-enforcing the perception the area is a key battleground in next month’s provincial election.

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Both leaders stayed in the area overnight with plans to complete their two-day swings through southwestern Ontario Friday.

“We have a message of hope for the people of Ontario,” Horwath told a gathering in Essex.

“Life has gotten a lot harder and less affordable. COVID has shown us how much was broken in Ontario. That doesn’t mean we can’t fix it.”

The NDP currently holds all three area ridings, but incumbents Percy Hatfield (Windsor-Tecumseh) and Taras Natyshak (Essex) both decided not to run for re-election after lengthy stays at Queen’s Park.

Ron LeClerc (Essex) and Gemma Grey-Hall (Windsor-Tecumseh) will be carrying the NDP banner this time while the NDP incumbent Lisa Gretzky is seeking re-election in Windsor-West.

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LeClerc will be up against Liberal Manpreet Brar, Progressive Conservative Anthony Leardi, New Blue Party’s Danielle Sylvester, the Green Party’s Nicholas Wendler, the Ontario Party’s Frank Causurano and None of the Above party’s Kevin Linfield.

In Windsor-Tecumseh the field also includes Liberal Gary Kaschak, Progressive Conservative Andrew Dowie, the Ontario Party’s Steven Gifford, Green Party’s Melissa Coulbeck, independent Laura Chesnik, New Blue Party’s Sophia Sevo and None of the Above’s David Sylvestre.

The crowded fields and lack of incumbents have led to speculation that Essex County will be one of the battleground regions in the province for seats changing parties.

“I don’t think it changes much at all for us,” said Horwath of the party’s strategy without the two incumbents.

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“Windsor area people know they’ve got fighters in the NDP. We’ll focus on what matters most to people.”

With Conservative MP Chris Lewis representing Essex in Ottawa, the riding’s split personality has given provincial PCs hopes of swiping a seat or two locally for the first time in nearly six decades.

The Progressive Conservatives haven’t had a local representative since 1963 when William Murdoch ended his 20-year run in the provincial legislature as MPP for Essex South. The Tories haven’t had an MPP from the Tecumseh, east Windsor and Lakeshore region since Paul Poisson held Essex North from 1929-1934.

Ford is hoping his government’s substantial investments in the region in the past four years will pay off June 2.

“While the Liberals and NDP like to talk, we are getting it done by building a new state of the art hospital, widening Highway 3 and securing billions in investments to produce electric vehicles and batteries right here in the region,” Ford said.

“The Ontario PCs have a real plan that is working and we are ready to get it done for the people of Windsor-Essex.”

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