Veterans’ aid sought to beat Ford

Steven Del Duca is putting the old band back together in hopes of striking a chord with Ontario voters on June 2.

The Liberal leader has assembled a campaign team brimming with veterans from the Grits’ successful 2003, 2007, 2011, and 2014 elections won by former premiers Dalton McGuinty and Kathleen Wynne.

In a weekend memo to party president and campaign chair Brian Johns, which was shared with the Star, campaign director Christine McMillan says “we are now into the final sprint” for the spring vote.

The structure, which McMillan says must meet gender parity and be “reflective of Ontario,” is expected to be operational by April 4.

Johns will be responsible for fundraising with rising stars Kate Graham and Sumi Shan, candidates in 2018, serving as co-chairs. Shan will work with veterans Christine Allenby and Jackie Choquette on candidate recruitment.

The Liberals, with seven seats in the 124-member legislature, have nominated 70 candidates so far.

David Gene and Lindsay Maskell, McGuinty veterans, will be cochairs to get out Liberal voters.

Similarly, Bob Lopinski, a Liberal stalwart instrumental in getting McGuinty elected in 2003 and Wynne in 2014, will be “chair of message,” working with Beckie Codd-Downey and Dan Moulton on messaging, and longtime Liberal strategist Omar Khan will direct the “war room” to handle rapid response.

The campaign manager is Jonathan Espie, another seasoned professional from the Liberals’ nearly 15 years in government. Del Duca’s chief of staff, Najva Amin, and director of operations, Charrissa McQuaig, also have major roles, as does lawyer Milton Chan, who was his campaign manager in the 2020 Liberal leadership race.