OXFORD – The first candidate has come forward to replace Jamie Baillie as the MLA for Cumberland South.
Oxford’s fire chief Tory Rushton announced Friday he will be seeking the nomination for the yet to be called byelection in the riding vacated by the sudden resignation last week of Baillie amid allegations of inappropriate behavior.
“Cumberland South consists of wonderful communities and it would be a privilege to serve the people in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly,” Rushton said in a news release on Friday. “I hear from residents who want their voices heard in Halifax and I would honour that commitment.”
Rushton, 38, is a production manager at Oxford Frozen Foods and a graduate of NSCC and Dalhousie Fire Services program. He has 20 years experience with the Oxford Fire Department.
Rushton said he would advocate for other young families to come and work in Cumberland South.
“Our area could be doing so much better if the Liberal government paid any attention to rural Nova Scotia. Small communities are what make this province so great,” Rushton said. “The best decision my wife and I made was staying home in Oxford and starting a family.”
In his spare time, Rushton coaches minor hockey and plays the bagpipes. He and his wife, Tracy, have three young children.
His grandfather was George Henley, who was elected in 1963 and remained the area’s MLA until his retirement in 1984. He served under both premiers John Buchanan and Roger Bacon and was the minister of lands and forests and operated Henley’s Pharmacy in Oxford.
Twitter: @ADNdarrell
