NDP candidate Aisha Jahangir came in a distant fourth in the Guelph riding Monday night but she remains proud of her first political campaign and her party leader.
“How many in the other parties can say they are proud of their leader?” said Jahangir. “Tonight I can tell you I was proud to be with the NDP team and to have Jagmeet Singh as our leader. I believe other NDP candidates would echo the same.”
Jahangir considered the campaign an opportunity to draw attention to issues she and her supporters are passionate about.
“What I was hearing at the door were concerns about healthcare and cuts in education,” she said. “People are concerned about climate and the warming and are disappointed with Liberal government’s inaction.”
There were also opportunities to raise issues of social justice.
“I also heard concerns about affordability around housing here in Guelph specifically and the rise in the cost of living,” she said. “There is a lot of uncertainty about the future. This was a great opportunity to raise these concerns with our Liberal incumbent around issues of mental health and the lack of funding and services around mental health.”
Jahangir finished fourth in the local campaign with just over 12 per cent of the vote but doesn’t feel like she lost.
“I had an extraordinary experience – a lot of growth and maturity and learning,” she said. “I had a phenomenal team. To win for a lot of people is to win the seat but for me there were so many other wins."
She was proud of the way the other candidates ran their campaigns as well
“Overall we all demonstrated civility and I appreciated that,” she said.
“We were nothing compared to the national leaders. I want to continue making a difference so wherever that path will lead me. The messaging from the NDP was about hope and encouragement. It was about a government that was actually putting people first. Win or lose NDP members are committed to social justice and that fight continues.”
