Matthew Rae, a one-term MPP, is aiming to keep his position in this large rural Ontario riding that encompasses Perth County, the Town of Minto, and the townships of Mapleton and Wellington North.
There are seven candidates contesting in Perth-Wellington:
Jason Davis, NDP. Ashley Fox, Liberal. James Montgomery, New Blue Party. Ian Morton, Green. Matthew Rae, Progressive Conservatives (incumbent). Rob Smink, Freedom Party of Ontario. Sarah Zenuh, Ontario Party.
Jason Davis represents the NDP and is a diesel technician as well as the owner of Stratford Comic Stop. He co-founded Stratford Affordable Housing Alliance and serves as a director for Mikinaak Community Land Trust.
Ashley Fox is running for the Liberals; she’s a registered practical nurse who works as a nurse case manager and community outreach coordinator at Promyse Home Care. This marks her second attempt to secure the Liberal nomination in this riding.
James Montgomery from the New Blue Party is a veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces who actively mentors youth through the cadet program. He also teaches skilled trades in auto manufacturing and previously ran for a council seat in Stratford in 2022.
Ian Morton represents the Green Party and works as a teacher while volunteering on various city committees in Stratford. He has served as chair of the energy and environment committee and vice-chair of the active transportation advisory committee, also running for a council seat in Stratford last year.
Matthew Rae is running again as the Progressive Conservative incumbent after winning his seat in 2022. Before entering politics, he worked on his family’s dairy farm near Harriston and gained experience working with former MPP Randy Pettapiece and current Perth-Wellington MP John Nater. Throughout his first term, Rae held two parliamentary assistant roles: most recently with the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, following time spent with the Minister of Education.
Robby Smink has been representing the Freedom Party of Ontario since 1985 across every provincial election cycle. The former salesman from St. Marys uses elections to highlight issues like federal carbon tax policies, COVID measures, and conspiracy theories about chemtrails-claims that experts have dismissed as unfounded.
Sarah Zenuh stands for the Ontario Party; she lives in Stratford where she runs her business called Oh For Fish Sake Designs after having worked previously as an early childhood educator.
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Riding history
The riding of Perth-Wellington was established in 2003 from parts taken from three previous ridings: Dufferin-Peel-Wellington-Grey, Perth-Middlesex, and Waterloo-Wellington ridings. Liberal John Wilkinson represented this area from 2003 until 2011. Progressive Conservative Randy Pettapiece won election here in 2011 serving until he opted out of re-election in 2022 when Rae took over his position.Source link
