Conservative commentator Jamil Jivani to run to replace Erin O'Toole

Jamil Jivani, a conservative commentator, is making the leap to electoral politics with a bid to win a seat soon to be vacated by former Conservative Party leader Erin O'Toole.

Jivani told CBC News he will launch his campaign Thursday for the Conservative nomination in the Ontario riding of Durham. He said he believes he's the first candidate to announce.

In order to run, Jivani, 35, is leaving his role as president of the Canada Strong and Free Network, the political advocacy group and think-tank formerly known as the Manning Centre. He writes frequently for the National Post and the Toronto Sun.

His columns often criticize the Liberal government and what he calls "woke" politics. A recent column called for the return of Reform Party ideals.

Jivani told CBC News that he was inspired to run so he could continue his years of work on public safety issues.

"My goal was always to balance out how we make sure the system is treating people fairly, but also that its primary purpose — which is to keep people safe — doesn't get lost in that conversation," he said.

O'Toole, who led the Conservatives into the 2021 election but whose leadership was ended by his caucus in the aftermath, announced late last month he would resign his seat at the end of the spring session.

The Conservatives have held Durham since 2004 and O'Toole has represented it since 2012. The former CPC leader won the GTA seat by over 16 percentage points in the 2021 federal election.

Jivani grew up in Brampton, Ont. and earned his law degree at Yale University. He's written about his close friendship with J.D. Vance, his one-time Yale classmate who became a bestselling author with his book Hillbilly Elegy and now serves as U.S. senator for Ohio.

He is the founder of the Policing Literacy Initiative, a think tank dedicated to improving policing and community safety practices through a youth-driven approach.

Jivani said his personal and professional experiences gave him a unique perspective to bring to politics.

"There are very few people who have been considered illiterate by the public school system and then get a chance to be part of making public policy," he said. "There are very few people who are Stage 4 cancer survivors — and in my case, also a current cancer patient now in remission — who get to have a platform to draw attention to what people go through in our health-care system."

He's the author of the 2019 book "Why Young Men," which examines the phenomenon of violence perpetrated by young men.

Asked how he might manage the transition from independent commentator to a candidate for a political party, he talked about his affinity for Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre.

"Having the right leader makes being a team player and working with people easier," he said.

Jivani was at the centre of a controversy in July 2020 when he posted on Twitter a claim that heightened gun violence in Toronto was in part caused by "young gangsters" starting online "drama." Jivani was at the time advising the Ford government on how to reach out to at-risk communities.

Jivani was dropped from his show on Bell's iHeartRadio network in January 2022 and has since sued the company, alleging breach of contract and wrongful dismissal. He's arguing the company fired him because he did not fit their stereotype of a Black man. The company denies the allegations.