According to CBC News, Tony Clement has announced (October 12, 2016) that he is bowing out as a candidate to replace Stephen Harper in the Federal Conservative leadership race.
The Parry Sound Muskoka MP announced his candidacy for leader of the Conservative Party of Canada on July 12, 2016 saying the party needed to “reconnect with Canadians who have been around for eight generations but also Canadians who have been around for eight minutes.”
At the July announcement he was confident of his leadership bid saying news of his intention to run for the leadership had been well received not only from across the country but in his own riding.
According to CBC News, Clement now says his campaign didn’t raise enough money to meet the “financial realities of this race”, and for that reason he is dropping out.
This was Clement’s second time throwing his name in the ring. He ran for the party’s leadership in 2004 and placed third against Harper and auto parts heiress Belinda Stronach.
See the earlier Doppler story about Clement’s announcement.
See Clement’s video announcement from his Facebook page below.
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Tony also realizes he would have been crushed!