A 28-year-old public servant who was born in Brockville is expected to be acclaimed Wednesday night as the Liberal candidate in Sarnia-Lambton riding.
Neil Wereley says although he's never lived in the riding, he feels he can represent the residents here.
"I think many of the issues that people in Sarnia face are issues that people across the province face," says Wereley. "As somebody who's grown up in a community very similar to Sarnia, that has had an industrial base that has seen some stresses over the past number of years, I can very strongly empathize with the issues of Sarnia."
He says from a young age, he knew politics was in his future.
"I have been avidly engaged with the political process since I was first able to get a party membership when I turned 14. So its always been something that I've been engaged in and interested in and passionately working towards," says Wereley. "This cycle wasn't necessarily on my horizon, but when the opportunity presented itself and I saw that Sarnia was missing the opportunity to hear our perspective, I decided that now is the time."
Wereley has a political science degree from Western University and has been living in London for the last five years.
He will run against PC incumbent Bob Bailey, NDP candidate Kathy Alexander, Kevin Shaw of the Green Party, Andy Bruziewicz of the Trillium Party and Fanina Kodre of the Century Party.
The Liberal nomination meeting is being held Wednesday at the Best Western Guildwood Inn at 6:30pm.
The deadline for candidates to register for the June 7 election is Thursday at 2pm.