Oosterhoff easily wins nomination challenge

Teenage Progressive Conservative MPP Sam Oosterhoff has schooled his elders once again.

Oosterhoff, 19, survived a nomination challenge Tuesday night in the newly redistributed riding of Niagara West, thrashing 46-year-old rival Tony Quirk by 903 votes to 313.

His victory came less than four months after he became the youngest MPP in Ontario history by easily winning a byelection in the safe Conservative seat of Niagara West-Glanbrook.

It ensures that he will be the Progressive Conservative flag-bearer in the new riding for the provincial election on June 7, 2018.

Quirk, a Niagara regional councillor and PC party vice-president, had finished fourth in the October nomination behind the surprise winner Oosterhoff.

PC party president Rick Dykstra finished second in that contest and businessman Mike Williscraft was third. The riding had previously been held by former Tory leader Tim Hudak.

While Dykstra and Williscraft sat out Tuesday’s nomination battle, some of their supporters rallied to Quirk, who threw down the gauntlet because he felt Oosterhoff was too young to represent constituents.

“In 2018, we’re going to be forming government (and) we, as a party, have an obligation to present a slate of candidates who are qualified — with the business, personal, and life experience necessary to make the decisions that are going to affect the people of Ontario,” he told the Star last week.

Oosterhoff, a home-schooled social conservative, had the backing of anti-abortion activists in the Campaign Life Coalition as well as congregants in his church and Tory MPPs at Queen’s Park.