Stressing it is all about timing, former St. Thomas mayor Heather Jackson is bidding to become the Liberal candidate for Elgin-Middlesex-London in the June provincial election.
She sought a third term as mayor in 2018, but finished second to Joe Preston by less than 650 votes.
After that, Jackson felt moving to a higher level of politics was not on her radar.
However, Jackson noted former MPP Jeff Yurek’s decision not to seek re-election and leave office at the end of February was a key consideration in her decision to step back into the political ring.
Housing and education are important considerations in the coming election, says Jackson.
Jackson’s confirmation as the Liberal candidate is expected to be announced the week of March 21 and she is anxious to begin campaigning in earnest.
Jackson believes the pandemic will be an election issue, in particular inequities in some of the health and safety protocols.
She admits while mayor of St. Thomas, many constituents were of the belief she leaned toward Conservative values and policies but Jackson says it comes down to working well with other elected officials to make the best decisions.
Between former Elgin-Middlesex-London MPPs Jeff Yurek and Steve Peter, Jackson has more than two decades of provincial experience to draw from.
Jackson indicated she is already moving forward with her campaign team, starting with a chief financial officer and then a campaign manager.
She is looking to fill those two positions in the next week and make any announcements at the nomination meeting.
Jackson points out, “I’ve had a lot of people reaching out and saying how can we help?”
Written by Ian McCallum
