paterson launches 'underdog' conservative campaign in kingston
paterson seeks to be the first conservative to win kingston and the islands since 1984
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conservative candidate bryan paterson greets a supporter at his campaign office opening in kingston, ont. on wednesday, march 26, 2025.
elliot ferguson
/
the whig-standard
kingston — conservative candidate bryan paterson has launched an “underdog” campaign to win kingston and the islands away from decades of liberal rule.
at the official opening of his concession street campaign office, paterson said voters have responded well to the conservative party’s message at the doorstep.
“if you’re a conservative in kingston and the islands, you know how we’re perceived — we are the underdog — but i’ve got good news for you,” paterson told about 50 people gathered in his campaign office. “everyone loves an underdog story.
“when you look at the history of kingston and the islands, you know that a conservative campaign is going to be considered the underdog, and i think we have the makings of an incredible underdog story based on what i’m hearing at the door.
“i have people that have said they have never voted conservative before that are looking at us because (of) what we are offering.”
kingston and the islands has been in liberal hands since 1988, first with peter milliken from 1988 to 2011, then with ted hsu between 2011 and 2015 and now with incumbent candidate mark gerretsen holding the position since 2015.
“the desire for change is everywhere in kingston,” paterson said.
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having been kingston’s mayor for more than nine years, paterson said he wants to base his campaign on issues familiar to anyone at city council and that paterson said remain top of mind for voters, such as housing affordability and the cost of living.
canada’s deteriorating relationship with the united states has also become an issue many voters are concerned about, he added.
paterson said the conservative campaign platform includes reducing interprovincial trade barriers, investing in the military and standing up to the trade threats from the united states.
locally, paterson said if elected he would push for a permanent replacement for the lasalle causeway, for kingston to be included in any new high speed rail system and for the former kingston penitentiary to be removed from the list of lands that the federal government wants to sell for housing development.
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