CORNWALL – After months of looking, and calls out for candidates, the provincial New Democrats have a prospective candidate for Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry. Marc Benoit, who presently serves as president of the local riding association, announced his candidacy for the party’s nomination as a candidate for the upcoming June 7th provincial election.
“I strongly believe in Andrea Horwath’s vision for Ontario,” said Benoit in a release. “The Ontario New Democrats’ plan for our province is the only one that makes sense for people like me, that is people who have to work to get by, and for the province’s fiscal sustainability.”
Benoit, 29, is from Russell, Ontario originally, and moved to Cornwall to study journalism at St. Lawrence College. Prior to that he attended Carleton University. He has called Cornwall home since 2013.
For the 2014 school year he served as president of the Cornwall Student Union where he worked to reduce annual fees for students using Cornwall Transit. He also worked with the college’s international students to help access housing and employment services.
Since 2015, Benoit has worked as a freelance reporter for the Cornwall Standard-Freeholder and Cornwall Seaway News.
“I believe that Government can and should have a positive role in people’s lives,” Benoit said. “Government should be about giving people the opportunity to build a good life, no matter where they are in Ontario, or when this province became home.”
Benoit is the only candidate so far standing for nomination.
The riding association will hold its nomination meeting May 8th at 7 p.m. at the Navy Veterans Association hall at 30 Sixth Street East in Cornwall.