There will be a familiar name running for the PC Party in the June election...it just won't be locally.
Leader Doug Ford has appointed candidates for the 11 remaining ridings for which a nomination meeting had not been scheduled...and one of them is Mike Harris Jr..
See: Mike Harris Jr. won't follow in father's footsteps...just yet
Harris is the son of former Premier and Nipissing MP Mike Harris. His mother Janet still lives in North Bay.
He has been appointed to run in the Kitchener-Conestoga riding.
A news release from the Party says Harris Jr. "has strong roots in the Ontario PC Party and lives in the Kitchener-Waterloo Region with his five children and wife Kim. As a small business owner, Mike knows about the challenges that small businesses have faced under this Liberal Government."
Harris Sr. led a Tory government in the province for nearly seven years from 1995 to 2002.
Mike Jr., in another odd twist, will run in a seat currently held by a PC politician with the same name.
Michael Harris — no relation to Harris Jr. — announced earlier this month he would not be running for re-election due to medical reasons. He's now been tossed from the Tory caucus amid allegations of harassment from a former intern.
Meanwhile, another interesting appointment is Doug Downey in Barrie-Springwater-Oro-
Doug Downey was born and raised in Simcoe County. He is a lawyer and former host of his show, Politically Speaking, on Rogers TV.
Downey has served as a Progressive Conservative organizer in Simcoe County for a number of years.
Brown stepped down as the party's leader in January amid allegations of sexual misconduct, plunging the Tories into turmoil and leading to Ford's successful leadership bid.
Ontarians set to go to the polls on June 7.
With files from Canadian Press.
