A London city councillor is planning to take a three-month leave of absence from his municipal duties to run for the Tories in the upcoming federal election.
Ward 1 Councillor Michael Van Holst formally announced his intention through a letter going to the corporate services committee next week.
"The purpose of this communication is to advise you of my intent to take an unpaid leave of absence from my role as councillor ward 1 during the campaign period, commencing the day the Governor in Council issues a proclamation for the general election to be held [the writ], until October 25, 2019," Van Holst said in the letter.
Van Holst is running under the Conservative banner in London-Fanshawe. He won the nomination contest in that riding in March.
The seat is currently held by New Democrat MP Irene Mathyssen, who announced last summer that she would not run in the 2019 federal election. Her daughter, Lindsay Mathyssen, has since secured the NDP nomination for London Fanshawe. Others vying for the seat include Liberal candidate Mohamed Hammoud, the Green's Tom Cull, and People’s Party of Canada candidate Bela Kosian.
Canadians are scheduled to go to the polls on October 21.
