The provincial Conservatives now know who is going to be on the ballot in Windsor-Tecumseh come election time in 2022.
The party has officially nominated Tecumseh councillor Andrew Dowie, who says the riding needs a strong voice around the table during the pandemic.
"We are going through one of the most significant hardships that our generation has endured," says Dowie. "Our business owners struggle to survive. Citizens are seeing their own working hours cut. It is in my DNA to work with people and to come out united and stronger together."
Dowie says Premier Doug Ford has done a great job handling the pandemic and he wants to be part of that team.
"Premier Ford has taken the best advice that he can from those who understand the science and is trying to balance it properly with the needs of our citizens," he says. "So I want to join Premier Ford at Queen's Park to be part of the solution."
If elected, Dowie says securing funding for a new mega hospital will be priority one.
"Job one for me, as your MPP, will be a project that's very dear to many of us. I will be advocating for and securing Phase 2 funding for the regional acute care hospital," he says. "That is job number one for me. We need a modern facility and we need it today."
Dowie's nomination meeting was held virtually Wednesday night with a number of dignitaries chiming in to lend their support including Tecumseh mayor Gary McNamara and Windsor mayor Drew Dilkens.
On Tuesday night, lawyer Anthony Leardi was selected to represent the Essex riding in 2022 — the provincial PCs are yet to reveal a candidate in Windsor-West.
The next provincial election is scheduled for June 2, 2022.