Why Liberal, NDP candidates want riding that Jack built

One of the most left-leaning ridings in Canada goes to the polls Monday in a by-election that is expected to come down to a battle of Liberal versus New Democrat.

The race in Toronto-Danforth was made necessary by the death last August of Jack Layton whose successor as NDP Leader will be elected by party members later this week. That contest has centred, in large part, on whether the New Democrats should move further into the ground occupied by Liberals or stick to their traditionally socialist roots.

Mr. Layton trounced his opponents in the riding last spring, taking more than 60 per cent of the popular vote. But the count was much tighter when he first won the riding in 2004, defeating incumbent Liberal Dennis Mills.

Although there are now 11 people vying for the seat, Craig Scott of the NDP and Grant Gordon of the Liberals are the two presumed front-runners. Conservative candidate Andrew Keyes did not return calls for this article.

As the lines between the two parties blur on the national level, The Globe asked Mr. Scott and Mr. Gordon on Sunday to explain how they are different to each other, and how the legacy of Mr. Layton has affected their campaigns.

Original Article
Source: Globe
Author: gloria galloway