Will a 'PC blue wave' sweep over an orange Windsor-Essex?
Windsor West shaping up to be the 'riding to watch' for the Liberals, NDP and PCs
Will the "PC blue wave" sweep over an orange Windsor West and unseat the NDP incumbent?
Or can a city councillor, with a few recent controversies to his name, win while attached to a Liberal party that appears to be falling out of favour, according to many polls?
With the provincial election officially beginning Wednesday, Windsor West is definitely the "riding to watch" in the extreme southwest of the province.
Especially since NDP Lisa Gretzky narrowly beat out Liberal Teresa Piruzza four years ago, with 1,022 votes separating the two. This despite Piruzza having the premier's ear as a cabinet minister — a fact that some believe ultimately brings more government cash to Ontario's most southern region.
"They [residents] don't have to have bad and worse; the Liberals and the Conservatives," said Gretzky. "They're saying that they're ready for change for the better."
Just this week Liberal Rino Bortolin was reprimanded by the city's integrity commissioner for "disparaging" remarks against council. However, he plans to use this to his advantage.
"One of the reasons why I was sanctioned is because I spoke up for my residents," said Bortolin. "I'll do the same thing at Queen's Park."
Meanwhile, the PC's candidate for Windsor West has been officially nominated since November of 2016. Adam Ibrahim said he's been speaking with residents for about a year-and-a-half.
"We deserve better. We are taxpayers, we are the people here [and] we are getting neglected. It's not fair," said Ibrahim. "We need a voice at the table."
Essex a 'higher climb' for PCs
In Essex, the NDP incumbent Taras Natyshak is seen as a seasoned politician with a lot of support in the county.
"So that's a little bit of a higher climb for the Conservatives," said Cheryl Collier, political science professor at the University of Windsor.
And the 2014 provincial election paints a picture of Natyshak having a firm grip on the riding with 60 per cent of the vote.
However, given that Essex has been Conservative in the past with former MP Jeff Watson (from 2004 to 2015), Collier said that gives the PCs "a little bit more of an opening."
Chris Lewis is hoping to take advantage of that opening in Essex. He's a former volunteer firefighter and councillor in Kingsville. He said his number one priority, if elected, will be the widening of Highway 3.
No Liberal in Essex
What about the Liberals in Essex? Well, they are nonexistent even though the election has officially begun.
"We'll have more to say in the near future," said one volunteer with the Ontario Liberal Party in an email to CBC news. "For now, I can tell you that we're very proud of our slate of candidates."
As for the Green Party in Essex, Nancy Pancheshan has thrown her hat into the ring. She's a local teacher, and perhaps more widely known for her role as a member of the Save Ojibway group.
Windsor-Tecumseh
The Liberals have a candidate in Windsor-Tecumseh with some name recognition. Remy Boulbol is involved in the community as a social justice advocate.
She'll be running against NDP incumbent Percy Hatfield who first got the seat during a by-election in 2013, then was re-elected in 2014. He won by a large margin with more than 17,000 votes separating Hatfield and the second place Liberal.
The PC candidate for Windsor-Tecumseh is Mohammad Latif and the Green Party has put forward Henry Oulevey.
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