This summer, Nova Scotia Liberals will come together to elect a leader to replace Iain Rankin. Angela Simmonds, MLA for Preston just announced her intentions to run for the leadership of the Nova Scotia Liberal Party.
Zach Churchill, MLA for Yarmouth and Fred Tilley, MLA for Northside-Westmount have expressed interest in the same position.
“Members deserve a leader with integrity who will inspire all Nova Scotians, and make them proud of our government again,” said Angela Simmonds. “To win the next election the Liberal Party must make space for new talent, and work to keep in touch with Nova Scotians.”
“I have not been preparing my whole life to lead this Party, but my life has definitely been preparing me.”
Simmonds is an award-winning social justice advocate, lawyer and small business owner who was first elected to the Legislature in 2021. At the age of 18, she became a mother and wrote her final high school exams with her youngest son on her lap. She paused her post-secondary studies to help run her family’s business until her father passed away.
She returned to finish her education after 12 years as a small business owner and completed law school at Dalhousie University while raising three children. She joined Nova Scotia Legal Aid and pursued justice for underserved communities and was also the first-ever Executive Director of the Land Titles Initiative.
“Like most Nova Scotians, I want our communities to thrive and our kids to grow up in a place with a foundation of fairness,” Simmonds said. “I am running because I want this generation and the next to be able to afford to live here, buy a home, start a family, build businesses and welcome newcomers who share our values and teach us new things.”
Nova Scotia Liberals will elect a new leader on July 9, 2022.