Kathryn McGarry running for mayor
Former MPP plans to move her family to Cambridge ‘soon’ from North Dumfries
CAMBRIDGE — This is a heavyweight showdown now.
Kathryn McGarry, a provincial cabinet minister until her defeat as Cambridge MPP last month, is the big-name challenger to incumbent Doug Craig, who is seeking a sixth term as Cambridge mayor in the Oct. 22 election.
McGarry filed her nomination papers on Tuesday.
Her registered candidacy was posted to the city website on Wednesday.
“I’m hearing people really do want change,” said McGarry, a 61-year-old critical care nurse and former president of Heritage Cambridge.
“They’re looking for a change in leadership style. They’re looking for somebody that listens, that’s responsive to their concerns, that they acknowledge their concerns and that they act in a consultative way moving forward.”
McGarry is a longtime North Dumfries resident who, the city clerk confirms, is a tenant of land in Cambridge to allow her to run for municipal office in the city. McGarry said people around town have asked her to run for mayor even before she was defeated in June.
Is that a knock against Craig’s style and vision as mayor?
“If people were satisfied with leadership as it is, and the vision that is being put forward, then perhaps they wouldn’t be asking for a change in leadership,” said McGarry who served as minister of transportation and minister of natural resources during her term as MPP.
“I’ve also developed a consultative leadership style that, I think, people really appreciate.”
Regardless, Craig will be difficult to topple. Craig, 72, can use 40 years of political experience to defend his chair. The Galt resident’s 18 years as mayor make him Cambridge’s longestserving mayor.
In 2014, McGarry became the first Liberal to take the Cambridge area provincial riding in 70 years, in her fourth attempt to take the seat. She unsuccessfully ran for city council in 2006.
Already, the jabs have started to fly.
“Why would someone living in North Dumfries run for mayor of Cambridge?” said Craig on Wednesday as McGarry officially entered the race. “I’m surprised she didn’t run for the mayor of North Dumfries, that’s all.”
McGarry said she plans to move her family to Cambridge “soon.” Her youngest son is 14. Even now, she said she only lives about eight kilometres from Southwood high school in Cambridge. Her 21-year-old son is going to McMaster University in the fall and will move out in August. She said it’s time for her family to downsize and move a little closer to school anyway.
Regardless of her township address, she feels fit to be Cambridge mayor.
“I’ve been working and volunteering in Cambridge, and representing Cambridge since 1988,” McGarry said. “So that does satisfy the requirement that you understand your community extremely well before you step forward to try and represent them.”
A few weeks ago, McGarry informed Craig she was pondering a run at the mayor’s chair. She met with Craig Tuesday to inform him she would indeed be running against him.
“I’m not surprised by it,” said Craig, a former school teacher. “It doesn’t change any of my plans on where I’m going with the city.”
McGarry says Craig told her in 2014 that this would be his last term as mayor of Cambridge. But Craig changed his mind and opted to run again.
“I just made a decision that I needed to finish some of the things up that I wanted to get done for the city,” Craig said. “The city’s doing well. I’m going to keep it on that track.”
In 2000, Craig won his first term as mayor with a 26-vote victory over Greg Durocher. McGarry was on Craig’s team of scrutineers for the recount that year. Now, she aims to end his reign as mayor.
“We have worked together very, very well,” McGarry said. “There are some things he’s done that I’ve been very, very supportive of. But I am responding to what the community is asking me to do in my next role. That’s why I’m stepping forward with running for mayor of Cambridge.”
So it’s McGarry vs. Craig, with Randy Carter also registered to run.
“You know what? I’m just going to run an election campaign,” Craig said of the challenge from McGarry.
“I’ve done it before. I’ll do it again this time.”