Todd Smith will run for MPP of Bay of Quinte

July 14, 2016

By Todd Smith

At my first all candidates meeting in North Hastings, in September 2011, one of my campaign volunteers locked the keys in the trunk of our campaign car.

Normally, this would be a minor annoyance. But I was supposed to be on a PC campaign conference call that evening and I wasn’t too keen on doing it from a hall at North Hastings High.

Luckily, a tow truck driver was at the debate and helped us open the car pretty quickly. All he asked in return was that we win on Oct. 6 of that year.

We did…at least locally.

For the last five years I have had the unbelievable privilege of representing the people of Hastings and Prince Edward counties. When the federal government decided to redraw the lines in 2012, I went to the local meeting and fought to keep the riding together because I didn’t want to have to make a choice between the people, towns, lakes, business owners, farms and coffee shops I’d come to know in our little part of the world.

Sadly, when the final lines were released for the 2015 election, I knew that was not to be.

My family, my team and I looked at both ridings very carefully. My mind changed almost weekly for an entire year about what riding I would run in.

At the end of this term, I will be standing for election as the Member of Provincial Parliament for Bay of Quinte.

Now, nothing will change until the 2018 election. I will still be the MPP for Prince Edward-Hastings. I will still be attending events, working hard at Queen’s Park and in the riding for everyone in Hastings County. Please keep calling, writing and emailing my office to make sure that your voice is heard at Queen’s Park. I will still be your strong voice in the provincial legislature.

All of this means that the new Hastings-Lennox & Addington PC Riding Association will be holding an open nomination in the near future to determine who their PC candidate will be in 2018. I hope you’ll consider being a part of this process.

It’s been my honour to follow in the footsteps of people like Harry Danford, Jim Pollock and the legendary Clarke Rollins who did so much for this area from the government benches at Queen’s Park.

I look forward to seeing the next generation of leadership the members in Hastings-Lennox & Addington send to Queen’s Park in 2018.

This is not a farewell. I promise you’ll continue to see and hear from me often over the next two years. The people of Hastings County have been so unbelievably good to me and my family. I wanted to be the one to tell you my plans for 2018.