TORONTO — Adil Shamji dropped out of the Ontario Liberal leadership race Thursday, throwing his support behind Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie.
Shamji, an ER doctor and provincial Liberal representative for Don Valley East, said the Mississauga mayor's experience and strength inspire confidence.
"When I think about why I ran for leader of the Ontario Liberal Party, it’s clear to me that it was to fight for all of us on the biggest scale and the biggest stage imaginable, and I know that my reach, for the time being, is only so far," he wrote in a statement.
"It is a tremendous privilege to work with someone as committed to public service as Bonnie is, someone who possesses the unique talent of getting people excited and bringing them together behind a common vision."
Crombie has led the pack in fundraising and has been the target of other candidates' criticism in the first debates of the leadership race.
She said Shamji is a "brilliant and dedicated" provincial representative and she is glad to have him on her team.
"Adil and I agree that Doug Ford’s government has got to go in 2026 and we need every Liberal pulling in the same direction to make that happen," Crombie wrote in a statement.
"Today is clear evidence that we as Ontario Liberals are going to be a united force that will bring down this self-serving scandal-plagued Doug Ford government as soon as we can."
The candidates also include Liberal MP and former provincial cabinet minister Yasir Naqvi, Liberal MP Nate Erskine-Smith, and former Liberal MP and current provincial caucus member Ted Hsu.
Party members are set to cast their ranked ballots on the weekend of Nov. 25 and the winner is to be unveiled Dec. 2.
The winner will take over from former leader Steven Del Duca, who resigned in 2022 after the party failed for a second straight election to capture enough seats for official party status at the legislature.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 28, 2023.
Allison Jones, The Canadian Press
