OTTAWA — The Conservative leadership race is underway and the deadline to register as a candidate and meet the first round of requirements is Feb. 27.
These candidates have officially declared they intend to run:
— Richard Decarie: political aide under former Conservative leader Stephen Harper while in opposition, helped run Harper’s Quebec operations.
— Marilyn Gladu: Conservative MP for Ontario riding of Sarnia-Lambton, formerly a professional engineer.
— Peter MacKay: former Progressive Conservative leader, Conservative cabinet minister and longtime MP from Nova Scotia, who now lives in Toronto.
— Erin O’Toole: former Conservative cabinet minister and current MP from the Toronto-area riding of Durham. Ran in the 2017 race.
— Rick Peterson: Alberta businessman, candidate in 2017 leadership campaign.
— Aron Seal: former director of policy for two Conservative cabinet ministers.
— Bobby Singh: entrepreneur and Conservative candidate in 2019 election in riding of Scarborough-Rouge Park.
— Derek Sloan: Conservative MP for the Ontario riding of Hastings-Lennox and Addington.
Others, in alphabetical order, who are considering bids:
— Michael Chong: former Conservative cabinet minister, current MP for Ontario riding of Wellington-Halton Hills. Ran in the 2017 race.
— Michelle Rempel Garner: Conservative MP for the riding of Calgary Nose Hill.
— Vincent Guzzo: movie-theatre mogul from Quebec who also stars in the reality-TV program “Dragons’ Den.”
— Rudy Husny: longtime Quebec operative for the Conservative party, and businessman.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 25, 2020.
The Canadian Press