Who’s running so far? Windsor-Essex candidates start federal campaigns

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The day after Prime Minister Mark Carney made a quick election in the trade war with the United States, hopeful people in Windsor and Essex County began to kick off the campaign.

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Two local liberal candidates gathered supporters on Windsor Riverside on Monday morning to formally launch their political pursuits, while the NDP incumbents began running with supporters that afternoon.

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Election Day is Monday, April 28.

“It’s time to build now, as Prime Minister Mark Carney said,” said Irek Kusmierczyk, Liberal candidate for Tecumseh-Lakeshore.

“Prime Minister Carney has experience, leadership, confidence and calmness in bringing Canadians to President Trump’s release of this unreasonable, unreasonable economic and trade war on Canada and this community.”

Incumbent Kusmierczyk, now 47, said Trump’s tariffs on Canadian goods — some imminent and some have been imposed — were the first issue he had been knocked on the door in the past seven days.

“We use lasers as our energy to defeat the injustice and unreasonable Trump tariffs against this country and our community,” he said. “We focus on building the strongest economy in the G7, which will work for all Canadians and all workers.”

Chris Sutton, 57, is a liberal candidate for Essex. Millwright, wearing a cowboy hat and boots, said he was eager for protection work – he said he worked hard to serve as the director of public affairs for the Millwright Regional Council, which inspired his political ambitions.

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“The most important thing is that we need someone who understands … how tariffs will affect workers,” Sutton said. “It’s time to make a change, and the only way to make that change is to get involved and be part of it.

“I think we need a stronger voice to understand the industry here. We need someone who is willing to stand up and speak for the community.”

Windsor West’s current New Democratic candidate Brian Masse held his ninth campaign Monday night in his Walker Road campaign office.

“I think people know me, they know I’m a fighter, and I’m going to continue to make sure I represent Windsor West’s principles,” he said.

“And, the documents I have worked on over the past few years, both borders, both environments, both consumer rights issues, we are able to get results for these things.”

Masse listed the cost of living, cementing protection of Ojibway National City Park in Windsor, dental care and pharmacy as some of his priorities.

But he also said that “stakes are different” in this election due to Trump’s trade war and threats to Canada’s sovereignty. He said the importance of countering these hostilities cannot be exaggerated

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“With me, you get a member who invests a lot of time in relationships in the United States,” Masse said.

“Over the years, I have worked with different political parties and different politicians to achieve results. At the same time, when I need it, I go into the battle zone. But, every day, I get up every day and try to make things better.”

As of Monday, the following candidates announced that they will run in Windsor-Essex:

Windsor – tecumseh – lakeshore

• Nick Babic – The BJP
• Alex Ilijoski – New Democrats
• Irek Kusmierczyk-Canadian Liberal Party
• Mark McKenzie – Conservatives of Canada

Windsor West

• Jacob Bezaire – The People’s Party of Canada
• Harbinder Gill – Conservative Canadian Party
• Joey Markham – Communist Party of Canada
• Brian Masse – New Democrats

Essex

• Jason Henry – The BJP
• Chris Lewis – The Conservative Part of Canada
• Chris Sutton – Canadian Liberal Party
• Lori Wightman – New Democrats

tcampbell@postmedia.com

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