Well-Known Conservatives Seek Thornhill Federal Nomination

Peter Kent, the longtime federal Conservative Member of Parliament for Thornhill, recently announced that he will not be seeking re-election in the next federal election campaign. The exact timing of the next federal election is unknown. The Trudeau Liberals have a minority government, and the government needs the support of at least one of the NDP, Bloc Quebecois or Conservatives on matters of confidence (such as the Budget) in order to survive. Minority federal governments in Canada have generally lasted for 2 to 3 years at a time, with a few exceptions.  

Kent was first elected in Thornhill in 2008, after having spent several decades working as a journalist for a variety of media outlets including NBC, CBC and Global. He was comfortably re-elected in the 2011, 2015 and 2019 federal elections, earning over 50% of the popular vote in the riding each time.  Thornhill was first established as a federal riding for the 1997 federal election. From 1997 to 2004, the riding was held by former Liberal MP Elinor Caplan. Subsequently, from 2004 to 2008, the riding was held by former Liberal MP Susan Kadis. Kent has held the riding since defeating her in 2008.  He served as Environment Minister in Stephen Harper’s government from 2011 to 2013 and subsequently survived a cancer scare.

The riding’s boundaries were adjusted for the 2015 federal election as part of the redistribution process that involved a number of ridings across Canada. The riding encompasses the Thornhill community and holds parts of the City of Vaughan and the City of Markham in York Region. The borders are set at Steeles Avenue to the south, Bayview Avenue and Bathurst Street to the east, Rutherford Road to the north and Highway 400 to the west.

Thornhill riding has a population of 112,719 people and is 62.90 square kilometres wide according to the most recent census.

Who will carry the Conservative Party of Canada torch in Thornhill in the next federal election?