'Existential threat:' Local Liberal candidates focus on Trump battle at campaign launch
The Liberals don't yet have a Windsor West candidate announced
Two local Liberal candidates on Monday launched their campaigns for the upcoming federal election, framing Windsor-Essex as the frontline in a generational battle against a belligerent southern neighbour.
"This is a fight for our economy," said Irek Kusmierczyk, the incumbent candidate in Windsor-Tecumseh-Lakeshore. "But make no mistake, this is our fight for Canada's sovereignty. This is a fight for our Canada."
Both he and Chris Sutton, a political newcomer running for the party in the neighbouring riding of Essex, slammed U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war and annexation threats against Canada.
"It's an existential threat against our community, specifically here in Windsor-Essex," Kusmierczyk said.
Sutton called Trump's actions unwarranted: "We have been one of the best trade partners in decades, okay? Generations. And we've been one of the closest allies with that country."
Roughly 20 supporters holding bright red and white signs braved the biting wind to join the two candidates along the waterfront, with the skyline of Detroit — an iconic American city — serving as backdrop.
Kusmierczyk, first elected to Parliament in 2019, focused not just on Trump but also on Mark Carney, the newly chosen Liberal leader and Justin Trudeau's replacement as prime minister.
"It is more important here than anywhere else to elect a strong prime minister in Mark Carney, who will stand up for Canada and who will stand up for our community," Kusmierczyk said.
Julie Simmons, an associate professor of political science at the University of Guelph, said the candidates' "messaging is consistent" with that of Carney and the party as a whole, emblematic of a strategy that seeks to reflect Canadian voters' angst around Trump.
"The Liberals are going with the tagline of 'Canada Strong' in this election, and I think that the timing of the election also suggests that Carney wants to capitalize on that feeling among Canadians, that they need to come together and fight a single cause at this time," Simmons said.
Nationally, the Liberals have seen a surge in the polls since an embattled Trudeau announced his resignation and as Trump has intensified his taunts toward Canada.
The stakes do feel higher in this election, Simmons said.
"This one definitely does have the feel of being a generational election, and one that clearly has one issue at the heart of it, and that is the relationship with the United States, this issue of renegotiating trade, and who is the person that has our best interests when engaged in that activity," she said.
It's a strategy that Ontario Premier Doug Ford successfully wielded in last month's snap provincial race, securing a third majority government. Ford, like Kusmierczyk and Sutton, used the Windsor-Detroit waterfront to launch his campaign — one he said was focused on obtaining a strong mandate from voters to take on Trump.
Kusmierczyk and Sutton also characterized themselves on Monday as forceful opponents to Trump's agenda.
"We need somebody that's willing to stand up and speak for the communities here, and to create that strong voice — anybody who knows me knows I'm loud and I'm [a] very out there, in your face kind of person," said Sutton, a longtime millwright, wearing a cowboy hat and cowboy boots for his campaign launch. "And that's what you need right now."
Voters will hit the polls on April 28. Kusmierczyk's riding is among those that was redrawn and renamed ahead of the election as part of regular redistribution. What was once Windsor-Tecumseh is now Windsor-Tecumseh-Lakeshore.
Kusmierczyk joked that he'll need "better shoes" to cover more ground.
"But [I'm] really excited. I've been knocking on doors in Lakeshore over the last week and I see the excitement at the door," he said. "I can tell you Canadians are so dialed into this election, I think this is going to be one of the biggest turnouts we've seen, and that's because there's so much at stake."
Among those trying to unseat Kusmierczyk is Conservative candidate Mark McKenzie, city councillor for Ward 4. The NDP's candidate is Alex Ilijoski, and Nick Babic is representing the People's Party of Canada (PPC).
In Essex, Sutton is taking on incumbent Conservative MP Chris Lewis, as well as the NDP's Lori Wightman and the PPC's Jason Henry.
In nearby Windsor West, represented by longtime NDP MP Brian Masse, the Liberals have yet to announce a candidate, but Kusmierczyk said a name is coming "very shortly."
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With files from Dalson Chen