The April 28 federal election will be the first in the new riding of Elgin-St. Thomas-London South. And myFM is profiling all four candidates vying to represent constituents in Ottawa.
There is also no incumbent in this vote as former MP in Elgin-Middlesex-London Karen Vecchio advised last July she would not seek re-election.
The Liberal party of Canada nominee is David Goodwin who was born and raised in Elgin county and graduated from Wilfred Laurier University. He also holds a diploma in Data Analytics from the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management.
His family operated Goodwin Furniture in St. Thomas for 100 years until 1970.
He is a director for AGF Financial which is based in Toronto but Goodwin lives in St. Thomas, working remotely.
Asked about his campaign strategy Goodwin advised, “We have a large team. We go out every day canvassing, so we’ve knocked on thousands of doors. We’ve made thousands of phone calls.”
Goodwin continued, “For me, this election is really about focusing on what can we do to help this riding. It is about we’ve got real issues with job security, whether it’s the auto workers, when I’m meeting with farmers, tourism. It just is widespread. And it’s like, so this is our moment. It’s a serious time.”
But the dark cloud hanging over this election is U.S. President Donald Trump and his tariff threats.
“I think what Canadians are looking for is for a leader that’s going to take them through this crisis,” stressed Goodwin.
For many Canadians, the economic uncertainty is leading to increased levels of stress.
At the core of Goodwin’s message is that you put the constituents first.
He continued with that thought.
“The one thing I always try and talk about is my passion for this riding. This is where I grew up. People will ask me two things. Where are you from and what do you do for work? I lived in Union as a child, went to Sparta School. Parents moved into St. Thomas. But this is my community. This is where my neighbors live. This is where my friends are. This is where I shop. That’s why this election is so passionate for me.”
And that is why values are so important to Goodwin.
Goodwin concluded, “That’s why I say this is the most important election of my lifetime, and I hear that at the doors. I think we’re going to have a very strong turnout nationally for this election because it impacts everyone, and people want their voices heard.”
You can hear our full interview with David Goodwin below.
Written by Ian McCallum
