It’s official, city councillor Michael van Holst will be taking the plunge into federal politics.
Van Holst was acclaimed as the conservative candidate in the riding of London-Fanshawe.
The riding is currently held by NDP MP Irene Mathyssen, who has already announced she does not intend to run again.
Van Holst says he will take a leave of absence from council when ‘the writ drops’ and campaigning officially begins.
Until then the Ward One councillor says his new role as a Conservative candidate will have no impact on his responsibilities at city hall.
He says, “Council’s a part-time job, I don’t have a full-time job and I don’t have a family to raise, so that puts me in a fine position to run a campaign and still be really involved in the important issues that we’ve got going on here at city hall.”
The fixed-date set for the next federal election is Oct. 21, 2019.
