Perth-Wellington: 6 candidates seek to unseat PC incumbent

Matthew Rae, a one-term MPP, is hoping to retain his seat in this large rural Ontario riding that includes Perth County, the Town of Minto and the townships of Mapleton and Wellington North.

There are seven candidates running in Perth-Wellington:

• Jason Davis, NDP.
• Ashley Fox, Liberal.
• James Montgomery, New Blue Party.
• Ian Morton, Green.
• Matthew Rae, Progressive Conservatives (incumbent).
• Rob Smink, Freedom Party of Ontario.
• Sarah Zenuh, Ontario Party.

Jason Davis, the NDP candidate, is a diesel technician and owner of Stratford Comic Stop and is co-founder of Stratford Affordable Housing Alliance and a director for Mikinaak Community Land Trust.

Ashley Fox, the Liberal candidate, is a registered practical nurse and works as a nurse case manager and community outreach co-ordinator at Promyse Home Care This is her second time running as the Liberal candidate in this riding.

James Montgomery of the New Blue Party is a Canadian Armed Forces veteran and continues to mentor young people through the cadet program. He also works in auto manufacturing as an instructor to promote skilled trades. He ran for a council seat in Stratford in 2022.

Ian Morton, the Green candidate, is a teacher who has also volunteered on city committees in Stratford including as chair of the energy and environment committee and as vice-chair of the active transportation advisory committee. He ran for a council seat in Stratford in 2022.

Matthew Rae, the Progressive Conservative candidate, is the incumbent in Perth-Wellington, having first won his seat in 2022. Prior to being elected, Rae worked on his family's dairy farm near Harriston and also worked for former MPP Randy Pettapiece and current Perth-Wellington MP John Nater. During his first term, Rae held two parliamentary assistant positions: Most recently to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing and before that to the Minister of Education.

Robby Smink has run as a candidate of the Freedom Party of Ontario in every provincial election since 1985. The former salesman from St. Marys uses the election as an opportunity to raise issues such as the federal carbon tax, COVID measures and the theory that the vapour trails from airplanes are chemicals (or chemtrails) purposely sprayed by unknown entities for nefarious purposes. Experts have dismissed it as a baseless conspiracy theory.

Sarah Zenuh is a candidate for the Ontario Party. Zenuh lives in Stratford and runs a business called Oh For Fish Sake Designs and is a former early childhood educator.

Riding history

The riding of Perth-Wellington has existed since 2003, when it was formed from parts of three ridings: Dufferin-Peel-Wellington-Grey, Perth-Middlesex and Waterloo-Wellington ridings.

Liberal John Wilkinson served the riding from 2003 to 2011.

Progressive Conservative Randy Pettapiece, won in 2011 and served until 2022 when he did not seek re-election. Rae won the seat in 2022.