Prince George-Peace River-Northern Rockies MP Bob Zimmer has endorsed ‪Peter MacKay in the Conservative party's leadership contest.
The former cabinet minister announced his bid on Saturday (Jan. 25).
"He has the work ethic, experience, ability and vision we need to lead our country," said Zimmer.
MacKay has been seen a contender not just since Scheer stepped down in mid-December, but ever since the party came into being.
He was instrumental in forming it, having helmed one of the parties that preceded it, the Progressive Conservatives.
That party merged with Canadian Alliance in 2003 to form today's Conservative party and MacKay went to work under the new boss, Stephen Harper.
He'd go on to serve as foreign-affairs minister, defence minister and justice minister in Harper's Conservative governments.
MacKay stepped away from politics ahead of the 2015 election, the year the Harper Tories lost power and Harper himself resigned as leader.
Ontario MPs Marilyn Gladu and Erin O'Toole are two other prominent contenders.
The deadline to register as a candidate and meet the first round of requirements is Feb. 27.
These candidates have officially declared they intend to run:
- Richard Decarie: political aide under former Conservative leader Stephen Harper while in opposition, helped run Harper's Quebec operations.
- Marilyn Gladu: Conservative MP for Ontario riding of Sarnia-Lambton, formerly a professional engineer.
- Peter MacKay: former Progressive Conservative leader, Conservative cabinet minister and longtime MP from Nova Scotia, who now lives in Toronto.
- Rick Peterson: Alberta businessman, candidate in 2017 leadership campaign.
- Aron Seal: former director of policy for two Conservative cabinet ministers.
- Bobby Singh: entrepreneur and Conservative candidate in 2019 election in riding of Scarborough-Rouge Park.
- Derek Sloan: Conservative MP for the Ontario riding of Hastings-Lennox and Addington.
Others, in alphabetical order, who are considering bids:
- Michael Chong: former Conservative cabinet minister, current MP for Ontario riding of Wellington-Halton Hills. Ran in the 2017 race.
- Michelle Rempel Garner: Conservative MP for the riding of Calgary Nose Hill.
- Vincent Guzzo: movie-theatre mogul from Quebec who also stars in the reality-TV program "Dragons' Den."
- Rudy Husny: longtime Quebec operative for the Conservative party, and businessman.
- Erin O'Toole: former Conservative cabinet minister and current MP from the Toronto-area riding of Durham. Ran in the 2017 race.
- Matt Preprost, Alaska Highway News, with files from The Canadian Press
