Windsor could soon have two hot races in the upcoming federal election, in Windsor West and Windsor-Tecumseh.
Ward 7 Councillor Irek Kusmierczyk has been collecting signatures to make a run for the Liberal nomination in the riding held by the NDP's Cheryl Hardcastle.
The riding association has not yet set a date for the nomination meeting.
Sandra Pupatello reacts as Melinda Munro endorses her candidacy for the Liberal nomination in Windsor West at the Fogolar Furlan Club, Windsor, August 23, 2019. Photo by Mark Brown/Blackburn News.
The race in Windsor West recently gained provincial attention when former provincial Liberal cabinet minister Sandra Pupatello announced she would run for the Liberal nomination in Windsor West where Brian Masse of the NDP has held secure since 2002.
Henry Lau of the Conservatives and Darryl Burrell with the People's Party of Canada are also running in Windsor West. The Green Party has Sean Quinn Hunt listed on its website as the candidate.
Kusmierczyk admitted the switch from municipal to federal politics have percolated in his brain for the past couple of months, but the thought first occurred after severe flooding in the city two years ago this week. It crystalized while attending the Association of Municipalities of Ontario conference earlier this month.
"We have some tremendous challenges here locally," he said. "We really need help in Ottawa to bring federal funding -- to be able to modernize our infrastructure, whether that's storm and sanitary sewers, whether that's our roads systems and whether that's our capital assets.
"Seeing all the cuts that are being passed down by the current Conservative government onto municipalities is something that is a huge challenge," said Kusmierczyk, referring to the Ford government at Queen's Park. "We have to meet that challenge."
So why federal and not provincial politics?
"When you look at the fact, for example, that the Liberal [government] just in April announced a $30 million investment to modernize storm and sanitary sewers in Windsor, that gives you an indication that it's the federal government that's going to be able to stand by our side and help us modernize our infrastructure so that we can make sure our residents' basements are dry," he explained.
Windsor-Tecumseh MP Cheryl Hardcastle at a rally supporting striking public health nurses in Windsor, March 15, 2019. Photo by Mark Brown/Blackburn News.
Kusmierczyk told BlackburnNews.com he felt he could provide a louder voice for the riding in Ottawa, but when asked if that voice was lacking now, he was diplomatic.
"My focus is on what I can deliver and what we can deliver as a community in Windsor-Tecumseh," he said.
If Kusmierczyk is successfully named the nominee and wins the election October 21, Ward 7 residents will be without a city councillor at least temporarily.
Typically, municipalities have three options when a ward seat is left empty. City council could opt to appoint the candidate who had the second-highest number of votes in the 2018 election. That would be Angelo Marignani. It could also hold a byelection or leave the seat empty.
Also running in Windsor-Tecumseh is Leo Demarce with the Conservatives, Dan Burr of the People's Party of Canada, and Giovanni Abati for the Green Party.