Voters will go to the polls March 12 in Toronto-Danforth, as the Prime Minister confirmed the date of the by-election for the federal riding left vacant by the death of former NDP leader Jack Layton.
Last month, NDP supporters in the riding chose law professor Craig Scott as the party’s nominee. The Conservatives recently chose communications consultant Andrew Keyes as their nominee, while the Liberals have not yet chosen a candidate.
Mr. Layton first won the riding in 2004 and was re-elected three times. Prior to that, it was held for four elections by Liberal MP Dennis Mills.
The riding’s history also includes a period when it was won by Bob Rae in 1978 and again in 1979 when he was with the federal NDP. Mr. Rae is now interim leader of the federal Liberals and is scheduled to appear in the riding Thursday.
The prime minister’s office confirmed the date for the by-election in a news release.
Fred DeLorey, spokesman for the Conservative Party of Canada, moved quickly to portray his party as an underdog in the race. He said he believes the riding is the Liberals’ to lose given the riding’s history.
“Governments do not win by-elections,” he said.
Editor's note: Jack Layton was first elected to the House of Commons in 2004 and re-elected three times. Incorrect information appeared in an earlier version of this article, which has been corrected.
