Green Party Candidates endorse NDP in Waterloo, Kitchener-Conestoga
Posted Feb 25, 2025 06:16:45 AM.
Last Updated Feb 25, 2025 07:15:02 AM.
A double endorsement for the The New Democratic Party in Waterloo Region.
The Ontario Green Party candidates in both Waterloo and Kitchener-Conestoga have thrown their support behind the NDP candidates in those ridings.
In Waterloo, Green Candidate Shefaza Esmail said in statement, “When you’re in Waterloo riding right now, there is a worry that by taking votes away from the NDP, the PC government might come back in Waterloo. And that is a real concern for me as well. If you really like the Green movement, send me a message, tell me I’m doing great, tell me I can earn your vote for next time, but this time, vote Catherine Fife, vote NDP.”
Incumbent Fife posting on social media that she is grateful for the endorsement, writing to Esmail, “I know that you deeply care about our community, and your expressed support highlights that. Let’s keep working towards positive change.”
Monday evening, a similar move in Kitchener-Conestoga.
Just moments into his opening statement at an all candidates meeting in New Hamburg, Brayden Wagenaar of the Ontario Greens announced that he is backing his NDP opponent Jodi Szimanski.
He said that voters in Kitchener-Conestoga are dealing with “a situation where you have a conservative leader that has continuously let you down in this riding.”
“Truth of the matter is, we need a candidate that cares and is going to put the time and energy and work into taking care of you guys,” said Wagenaar. “And the only way that is going to happen in our current, not-great, democratic voting system is to create a candidate we can all get behind. That’s why tonight I’m proud to say I’m supporting Jodi as the candidate for this riding.”
Szimanski said she was honoured and floored at the surprise announcement and will be campaigning with Wagenaar over the next few days.
“There is a real need to change leadership in this riding, and I think he felt it and threw his weight behind me to say this is where we should go and push votes and be that unity vote that people have been asking,” said Szimanski.
Wagenaar said he made his decision last Thursday but was asked to hold off until the meeting, hoping it will incentivize voters to go to the polls.
“If there was more time for me to get to know these candidates, I would have done this a month ago,” said Wagenaar. “When we stepped into this election, I knew right then and there that the most logical choice was to put my support behind another candidate, but I didn’t get to know them until now.”
Five of the six candidates running in Kitchener-Conestoga took part in the meeting that was organized by the New Hamburg Board of Trade; Mike Harris Jr. (Progressive Conservatives), Joe Gowing (Ontario Liberals), Jodi Szimanski (NDP), Brayden Wagenaar (Greens), and Patrick Doucette (Ontario Party).
Topics included the Wilmot Land Assembly, long term care, housing affordability, the environment and the threat of tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump.
After the meeting, the vehicle for Liberal candidate Joe Gowing was vandalized with calls for him to step aside. Gowing ran in 2018 for the Ontario Liberals in Kitchener-Conestoga and came in third place.
In response to the vandalism, Gowing posted on social media saying, “I am clearly gaining on Harris, and will continue my campaign as I have from the start. Focusing on my constituents and getting my message out.”
Election day is Thursday, February 27.
