St. Vital city councillor Gord Steeves announced his candidacy to run in the provincial election Friday morning.
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Speaking to supporters at the Seine River Retirement Residence alongside his wife, Lorrie, Steeves said he will seek the Tory nomination in Seine River on June 23. NDP Health Minister Theresa Oswald currently holds the seat.
Steeves, an 11-year veteran of City Hall, was denounced Thursday by the union representing Winnipeg firefighters for his choice to jump into provincial politics.
“We have hundreds of members living in Seine River and we will be asking them, along with firefighters from across the city, to assist in our efforts to have Theresa Oswald re-elected as MLA for Seine River,” United Fire Fighters of Winnipeg president Alex Forrest said.
“We are disappointed in this decision to run, as it is based on political opportunism,” Forrest went on to say.
The union, who has worked well with Steeves in the past, says he is a Liberal supporter and does not represent a true snapshot of Seine River by moving to the Conservative Party.
Steeves had the backing of a number of city councillors during Friday’s announcement, including Justin Swandel, Scott Fielding and Paula Havixbeck.
On Thursday, former TV reporter Mike Brown announced his intentions to run provincially for the Tories in St. Vital.
The provincial election is October 4.
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