Former BC Liberal Leader Gordon Wilson endorses Todd Stone

With the B.C. Liberal leadership vote just weeks away, more high profile endorsements are coming in.

In a video posted to YouTube, former party leader Gordon Wilson has thrown his support behind former transportation minister and Kamloops-South Thompson MLA Todd Stone.

For more than a decade, Wilson’s opinion didn’t matter much to Liberals: after leading the party to a 1991 breakthrough, he later defected to the NDP.

Wilson’s Liberal bonafides were rehabilitated under Christy Clark’s tenure, and now he says his long history with the party has given him a unique perspective on the leadership race.

The Liberals, Wilson said, have only had two leaders since winning those crucial seats in the 1991 election.

READ MORE: Do any candidates in the BC Liberal party leadership race stand out?

“In contrast, the NDP have had eight leaders elected and tossed out. What that tells us is that we choose our leaders carefully,” he said.

“We consider all the factors about what makes the best person to lead us and therefore lead our province,” he said.

The former party leader said Stone best fits the bill.

WATCH: Former BC Liberal Leader Gordon Wilson backs Todd Stone

Wilson lauded Stone’s work ethic, pointing to “endless hours” he contributed to Wilson’s 1991 campaign.

And he argued Stone is best positioned to bridge the province’s urban-rural divide.

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“As he has ascended from the ranks of the anonymous to an outstanding MLA, a minister in the government of British Columbia, he’s developed a unique perspective and being able to understand, fully understand, both urban and rural British Columbians and what their needs are,” he said.

The endorsement comes days after party interim-leader and former cabinet minister Rich Coleman told the Globe and Mail he was backing Mike de Jong.

READ MORE: Liberal leadership candidate Dianne Watts could have an uphill battle ahead: Keith Baldrey

More than 60,000 party members will begin choosing Christy Clark’s replacement from among six candidates on Feb. 1, using a ranked ballot.

The winner will be announced Feb. 3.

You can learn more about each candidate here.