Endorsements from high-profile people have “significant influence” in the NDP, especially when it comes to the leadership race, says a former federal leadership candidate, but others say despite the number of top support, it all comes down to one-member, one-vote in the end.
“I think it’s hard to win in any party if you don’t have reasonably solid endorsements from at least a significant segment of the party,” NDP House Leader Joe Comartin (Windsor-Tecumseh, Ont.) told The Hill Times last week. “I think they’re very important. Obviously it depends on the extent of the influence the person has who’s doing the endorsement, but getting Ed Broadbent or one of the provincial premiers, people of that stature, getting the endorsements of your colleagues, MPs in your caucus, or MLAs in the provinces, all of those carry the recommendation that is going to be followed by at least some people who support that individual.”
Mr. Comartin ran in the 2003 leadership campaign which elected Jack Layton on the first ballot. Heavy-hitters such as former leader Ed Broadbent and former Ontario leader Stephen Lewis backed Layton, who had previously twice run unsuccessfully in federal elections and who had been a Toronto city councillor before taking the NDP’s helm. Layton died from cancer on Aug. 22, 2011, and there are currently seven candidates vying to take over from him.
“I think it’s hard to win in any party if you don’t have reasonably solid endorsements from at least a significant segment of the party,” NDP House Leader Joe Comartin (Windsor-Tecumseh, Ont.) told The Hill Times last week. “I think they’re very important. Obviously it depends on the extent of the influence the person has who’s doing the endorsement, but getting Ed Broadbent or one of the provincial premiers, people of that stature, getting the endorsements of your colleagues, MPs in your caucus, or MLAs in the provinces, all of those carry the recommendation that is going to be followed by at least some people who support that individual.”
Mr. Comartin ran in the 2003 leadership campaign which elected Jack Layton on the first ballot. Heavy-hitters such as former leader Ed Broadbent and former Ontario leader Stephen Lewis backed Layton, who had previously twice run unsuccessfully in federal elections and who had been a Toronto city councillor before taking the NDP’s helm. Layton died from cancer on Aug. 22, 2011, and there are currently seven candidates vying to take over from him.