The Ontario Progressive Conservatives appointed the remaining 11 provincial ridings that didn’t have Tory candidates, a list that includes 980 CFPL talk show host Andrew Lawton.
Lawton announced he was running for the London-West nomination on April 11, and was set to face off against Thames Valley District School Board Trustee Jake Skinner and Liz Snelgrove, executive director of the Advanced Medical Group.
“While I was eager for a good, old fashioned contested nomination, I respect and understand the time crunch the party is in with the shortened calendar, as well as the prerogative of the leader and the Party Nominations Committee to make these tough calls,” Lawton said in a statement released Saturday.
In a news release issued early Saturday afternoon, the Progressive Conservatives announced the remaining 11 provincial ridings would have those positions filled by appointment.
Peggy Sattler has held the seat for the NDP since 2013. Prior to that it was a Liberal stronghold with Christopher Bentley remaining in office for a decade beginning in 2003.
On Friday, the Ontario Liberal Party announced that university lecturer and consultant Jonathan Hughes will represent the party in the riding of London West in the upcoming provincial election.
The election will be held on Thursday, June 7.