There has been a bit of a shakeup in London’s Ward 13 council race after one of the candidates unexpectedly withdrew his nomination and threw support behind Arielle Kayabaga instead.
Rod Morley was participating in a live debate Wednesday evening when he walked off the stage.
He told the audience he wants to see more diversity in leadership roles, and publicly endorsed Kayabaga for the seat.
She’s the only woman running in Ward 13, and is now competing against six other men: Ben Benedict, John Fyfe-Millar, Jonathan Hughes, David Lundquist, Gil Warren, and Kevin Wilbee.
The ward is currently represented by Tanya Park, who’s running for mayor.
In a tweet, Morley wrote “If I didn’t think that Arielle could do the job, believe me, I would have not withdrawn and would have fought all the way to Oct. 22nd.”
Meanwhile, advance polls are getting underway with less than three weeks to go before the municipal election on Oct 22.
Polling stations will be set up in the basement of Western University’s UCC building right across from the book store, and just outside of the Oasis Lounge in Fanshawe College.