Shaun Tanaka gets Liberal nod to run in York-Simcoe federal byelection

East Gwillimbury resident takes second run at seat after losing to Conservative Peter Van Loan in 2015 federal election

YorkRegion.com
Jan 15, 2019
Heidi Riedner

Liberals in York-Simcoe have once again nominated East Gwillimbury’s Shaun Tanaka as the official 'Team Trudeau' candidate in the upcoming federal byelection slated for Feb. 25.

“Shaun Tanaka knocked on thousands of doors as the Liberal candidate for York-Simcoe in 2015, and we are very proud to welcome her to Team Trudeau once again for this important byelection,” said Suzanne Cowan, President of the Liberal Party of Canada.

“Shaun’s deep roots in York-Simcoe give her a unique understanding of her community’s priorities and challenges, and I know she will never stop working hard to strengthen the middle class and continue growing our economy.”

The university professor and mother of two has dedicated many years of volunteer service to organizations such as the Sharon Temple Museum Society and the East Gwillimbury Public Library, along with the National Association of Japanese Canadians and the Maytree Foundation – a charitable organization committed to reducing poverty and inequality in Canada.

Tanaka has spent the past decade as a geography professor, both at Queen’s University and the University of Toronto, in addition to operating a successful business with her husband, Sean.

“York-Simcoe needs a strong local voice in government who will stand up for the priorities and needs of our community,” Tanaka said.

“I’ll be working hard to earn every single vote, so together we can strengthen our middle class, grow our local economy, and offer real help to families.”

Long considered a Tory stronghold, the York-Simcoe riding has been held for the past 14 years by Conservative MP and former cabinet minister Peter Van Loan, who retired from politics last September.

In the last federal election, Van Loan garnered 50 per cent of the vote, beating Liberal Shaun Tanaka, who received 26 per cent, and the NDP’s Sylvia Gerl, who got 10 per cent.
Despite the fact Tanaka lagged behind Van Loan by more than 6,000 votes, she did manage to increase the Liberal vote in the riding by 400 per cent.

In the upcoming February byelection, Tanaka is running against business owner Scot Davidson of the Conservatives and workers’ rights advocate Jessa McLean of the NDP