Race narrows as Murray drops out

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(Photo by Flickr Commons)
(Photo by Flickr Commons)

Glen Murray, MPP for the Toronto Centre riding, has dropped out of the Ontario Liberal leadership race, leaving six other hopefuls in contention.

In the fall, Murray resigned from his position as minister of training, colleges and universities in order to run. He was the first to announce candidacy after former Premier Dalton McGuinty resigned.

โ€œHe got out because he didnโ€™t want to be embarrassed,โ€ explained Barry Kay, a political analyst and professor at Wilfrid Laurier University acknowledging that Murray likely wouldnโ€™t have won.

Kay went on to explain that some of the candidates are in the race for more symbolic than literal reasons. He expressed that some enter the race with an awareness that they may not succeed in order to gain the โ€œsupport of a significant amount of people in the party that will position them for the futureโ€ by contributing to their political reputation.

In response to the fact that Murray is now endorsing a leading candidate, Kathleen Wynne, Kay said that the support obviously doesnโ€™t hurt, but he isnโ€™t sure that itโ€™s going to make a huge difference in terms of what actually happens.

John Milloy, MPP for the Kitchener Centre, expressed his thoughts on Murrayโ€™s recent drop out.

โ€œI think he did a great job, had some great ideas, and I think he should be proud in the leadership contest,โ€ Milloy said. โ€œItโ€™s his right of course to drop out and support Kathleen Wynne.โ€

Out of the six remaining candidates, Wynne and Sandra Pupatello are currently in the lead. Last weekendโ€™s delegate voting showed Pupatello leading with 27 per cent support and Wynne trailing slightly in second with 25 per cent.

While Kay acknowledged that current polls are pointing toward a female leader for the party, โ€œthe key element is going to be what happens in terms of second ballot support from others.โ€

He also identified that image could play a role in how votes are cast during the next provincial election, which could impact the selection of the Liberal leader.

โ€œIn terms of the next election, the way most Ontarians are going to decide on the way they vote in the next election, and we might have one in a few months, is the way they look on television,โ€ he commented.

While this isnโ€™t the single determining factor to political success, it may play a role in the decision made by less informed voters.

โ€œAre liberal activists going to be more concerned with the person they like the best based on their policies and intellect, or are they going to be motivated by who they think has the best chance of winning the next election?โ€ Kay questioned.

Glen Murray was unavailable for comment.

The Ontario Liberal leadership convention will take place during the weekend of Jan. 25.


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