Michael Van Holst, the Ward 1 councillor for London, tells CTV News he’ll seek the federal Conservative nomination in London-Fanshawe.
"Multiple people suggested it and after a long discussion with my wife, I decided to pursue the opportunity of serving at a higher level," Van Holst said Saturday.
The nomination period opened Thursday.
But the decision doesn't sit well with those who ran against him in the most recent municipal election.
"He spoke to a lot of Ward 1 residents and gained their trust. To even consider bailing at this stage of the game, it’s incredibly frustrating," said Melanie O’Brien, who ran in Ward 1.
Another Ward 1 candidate, Bud Polhill, remembers when other city politicians Nancy Branscombe and Judy Bryant decided to leave municipal politics to run provincially.
“I’m sure it's going to happen again, but I don't think it’s happened that close to the last election,” he said.
Van Holst, who is serving his second term, says he never considered this opportunity while running last fall. He adds the priorities and policies of the Conservative party resonate with him.
Andrew Sancton, a retired political science professor at Western University, says it’s a risky move considering London-Fanshawe is an NDP riding, and there is no guarantee he'd even win the nomination.
Van Holst needs 25 signatures from Tory members to secure a nomination and he is still seeking the required number before the March 21 application deadline.
"I find it surprising that someone who got elected four months ago would take a flyer on being a Conservative candidate in London-Fanshawe," Sancton said.
“A lot of people are going to say, ‘Is his priority now is to be a federal MP?’ Some may say he has a conflict of interest because he'll view every vote of how it affects his federal...chances. It's a difficult transition to be an incumbent councillor and trying to run for another office at the same time.”
As for the possibility of Van Holst winning and forcing a by-election, he said the chance to move London forward is still his goal at whatever level of government he serves.
“It has been a great privilege, and I hope to do the same as an MP. There is a lot of conjecture and I'll certainly work hard as a city councillor until that changes."
