Allan Thompson has launched his bid to be the Liberal candidate for Huron-Bruce in the 2019 federal election with what he says is a commitment to create opportunity and build the rural economy in the riding.

In an August 20 media release, “Now, more than ever, I believe that Huron-Bruce needs a stronger voice in Ottawa, an ambitious, proactive and effective MP who will speak up forcefully for our rural communities and make sure that rural concerns are heard in the corridors of power,” said Thompson.

Thompson, 54, was the federal Liberal candidate in Huron-Bruce in the 2015 election that brought the Justin Trudeau Liberal government to power. During that campaign, he raised Liberal support in Huron-Bruce by more than 23 percentage points and with more than 23,000 votes, placed a close second to the incumbent.

“It's time to build on the momentum from 2015. And it's time to send a Liberal MP from Huron-Bruce to sit on the government benches in Ottawa,” he said.

Thompson identified working to create opportunity and build the rural economy in Huron-Bruce as a top priority and vowed he would be a voice for farmers and all those who live in the riding’s small towns and on its country roads.

He said the needs of seniors, access to healthcare and the challenges posed by mental health issues and youth drug addiction in rural communities are particular concerns. Thompson said he wants to look for ways to make settling down in the region a viable option for those young people who are increasingly drawn away by schooling and job opportunities.

Thompson will formally launch his campaign to seek the federal Liberal nomination at a gathering of family and friends on Wednesday, August 22 at his home in downtown Goderich, where he has purchased property and taken up residence.

A former political reporter for the Toronto Star newspaper, Thompson is on sabbatical from his position as a journalism professor at Ottawa’s Carleton University. He recently launched Market Street Strategies, a strategic communications firm based in Goderich.

Born and raised on a farm just outside the village of Glammis in southern Bruce County, Thompson went to school at Bruce Township Central Public and Walkerton District Secondary School and began his journalism career as a reporter with the Kincardine Independent and Teeswater News.

While committed to reaching out to potential supporters face-to-face, Thompson said he will also make extensive use of social media in his campaign to maximize his engagement with constituents. You can find Thompson online at www.allanthompson.ca and you can follow his campaign at www.facebook.com/allanthompson2019, at www.twitter.com/ElectAllanT and at www.Instagram.com/electallant. He can be reached by email at allan@allanthompson.ca or by phone at 613-799-1791.