A Chatham-Kent Councillor will be the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party’s candidate for Lambton-Kent-Middlesex in the upcoming by-election.
Steve Pinsonneault won the special election held this past Saturday in Strathroy for registered PC members in the riding.
The Thamesville native was running against Neal Roberts, chief of the Middlesex London Paramedic Service and resident of Thorndale.
The party did not provide vote totals.
The riding of Lambton-Kent-Middlesex includes the Lambton municipalities of Brooke-Alvinston and Lambton Shores; the townships of Dawn-Euphemia and Warwick; and Kettle Point Indian Reserve No. 44 and Walpole Island Indian Reserve No. 46.
“There’s nothing more important than the health and prosperity of our residents,” Pinsonneault said. “I’m running with the Ontario PC Party in order to continue building the Wallaceburg hospital, create good-paying local jobs and fight to make life more affordable for the people of our community.”
Pinsonneault will be looking to fill the riding’s seat at Queen’s Park, which has been vacant since Monte McNaughton, of Mt. Brydges, who resigned in September to take an executive vice-president’s position at Woodbine Entertainment.
He is in his fifth term as East Kent representative on Chatham-Kent Council, having first been elected in 2006, has served on several committees, and has been a volunteer firefighter at Thamesville Station 8 for 32 years.
He owns Pinsonneault Enterprises, which includes Steve’s Sign Shop, a mechanics’ repair garage and a coin-operated car wash in Thamesville.
Pinsonneault is passionate about creating new jobs and opportunities in the skilled trades as a small business owner, a PC party news release noted.
“As a long-serving local councillor, Steve Pinsonneault has what it takes to Get It Done for Lambton-Kent-Middlesex at Queen’s Park,” McNaughton said in a statement. “Working alongside Doug Ford, Steve is the right candidate to attract highly skilled jobs, improve the safety of our local highways, and build our new hospital.
“I’ve seen Steve in action, and I know that his grassroots approach makes him the right candidate for our riding,” McNaughton added.
Premier Doug Ford has until early April to call a by-election in Lambton Kent Middlesex, as the other provincial parties will finalize their candidates in the riding.
With files from The Journal