HARD TO BELIEVE THEY DID NOT WANT HIM

   Former NDP and Green Party candidate Mario Leclerc announced back in January he was switching parties in order to seek the Liberal nomination for Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry because, he said, it was impossible for the NDP to win. At the time, a somewhat surprised Liberal riding association welcomed Leclerc’s candidacy, but stressed other candidates were expected to throw their hats into the ring as well.
   Three months later, no other candidates have been publicly announced so far, and Leclerc is taking his hat and going home.
    When asked if a lack of enthusiasm for his candidacy may have been the result of his being a former NDP candidate, Leclerc said that if that’s the case the Liberal riding association is being short-sighted. Leclerc feels he had a “winning formula” for defeating Conservative incumbent Guy Lauzon.
   His NDP background could have brought the progressive vote to the Liberals. He also suggested he would have an easier time getting traditionally conservative voters.
   “To be quite honest with you, I’m a white male and this is part of the winning formula,” he said. “Most people know this, but don’t want to bring it up.”