Skinner returning for a second attempt to become MP
2015 candidate already acclaimed as Conservative candidate for 2019
Mike Skinner has been acclaimed as the Conservative candidate for Peter borough K aw art ha riding for the federal election in 2019.
Skinner is the president and CEO of the Innovation Cluster in Peterborough, which helps entrepreneurs launch new companies.
He ran for the Conservatives in the federal election in 2015 in the same riding.
“I’ve learned all about the mechanics of elections, that’s for sure,” he said in an interview on Thursday, adding that he plans to run a “positive” campaign.
Skinner said the nomination period ran from March 1 to 15 and was publicized among party members eligible to vote.
An internal selection committee had approached anyone who’d run previously, as well as anyone likely to be interested in running, he said.
But when prospects heard Skinner was interested, they didn’t come forward - he said they supported him, instead.
Although the acclamation was official as of March 15, there was no public acknowledgement of it until the riding association held its annual general meeting at The Venue on March 24.
Even then, there was little public mention except for congratulations for Skinner on social media.
Skinner said that was by design: it was just a few days after the race to replace the Ontario PC leader, and the party meant to keep the emphasis on the forthcoming provincial election (on June 7).
The federal election is on Oct. 21, 2019.
Status of Women Minister Maryam Monsef hasn’t publicly stated whether she will run for re-election to a second term for the Liberals in the riding.
If she does run, it will be the second consecutive election where Monsef runs against Skinner. Yet there may be no Liberal nomination contest if Monsef wants to run.
The Liberals have decided incumbent MPs won’t have to face nomination contests as long as they meet certain criteria
(such as they’ve begun to fill the campaign war chest and have kept in touch with voters).
No candidates have been chosen for Peterborough-Kawartha for the NDP or the Green party.
In 2015, Dave Nickle was the NDP candidate and Doug Mason ran for the Greens.
NOTE: Incumbent HaliburtonKawartha Lakes-Brock MP Jamie Schmale said earlier this year that he has also been confirmed as the Conservative candidate for that nearby riding for the 2019 federal election.