A retired political scientist from the University of Windsor says there’s no evidence an endorsement from Windsor Mayor Eddie Francis will convince voters to chose Drew Dilkens in the upcoming municipal election.

“I’m sure there are lots of people in unions who will not vote the union choice,” says Lloyd Brownjohn. “And there will be lots of people who are lawyers, or other professional people won’t vote for Drew Dilkens.”

Brownjohn, who admits he helped Dilkens on this Ph.D. thesis, is among many across the city who are not surprised by Francis’s announcement Tuesday morning. “What alternative is there? He certainly isn’t going to back (Larry) Horwitz, and he isn’t going to back John Millson. So if Eddie’s going to say anything about anybody it would be to support Drew Dilkens because Drew among other things used the phrase, “let’s stay the course.'”

Brownjohn says there’s no significant difference between an endorsement between a political figure and an organization like the Windsor and Area Labour Council. The council has thrown its support behind Dilken’s biggest rival in the campaign, John Millson. Brownjohn says that may indicate a greater debate taking place locally. “I hate to say this, but it essentially boils down to an economic or perhaps even a class debate between those who have and those who would like to have. And, those who would like to have I suppose, would be the unions.”

There are twelve candidates running for mayor in Windsor. The others are Timothy Dugdale, Robin Easterbrook, Steve Gavrilidis, Ernie The Baconman, Jaysen R. Sylvestre, Raymond Poisson, Ronald van Dyk, Mike Tessier and Bruce Martin.