HAMILTON - Andrea Horwath entered the race for the leadership of the provincial New Democrats on Friday saying her background as a grassroots organizer makes her the ideal candidate to rebuild the party and turn around the province's fortunes.

"Things are not working at Queen's Park; it's time for new voice," said Horwath, the lone woman running for the party's top job.

"Together, we can make this province work, so that a working woman in Ontario can get the childcare that she needs and Dalton McGuinty can get the pink slip that he deserves."

The 45-year-old self-described working mom launched her bid at rally in Hamilton surrounded by steelworkers, firefighters and activists.

Horwath said her key goals as leader would be to develop a sound economic strategy, ensure good-paying jobs and a clean environment. As the lone female candidate to replace Howard Hampton, she says she's keenly aware of the need for better childcare, and improvements to schools, hospitals and senior care.

"Times are tough in Ontario," she told cheering supporters to sound of Pink's "Get the Party Started."

"I'm a community organizer, and I know fundamentally that if we rebuild our base, if we strengthen our roots, if we hire organizers to re-invigorate the grassroots of this party, we can and will win elections."

Henry Watson, president of the Hamilton Professional Firefighters Association, said he supported Horwath because of her role in bringing forward a bill to protect firefighters but also for rejuvenating the site of a toxic fire by turning it into a park.

"She was a community leader as a result of the most historic hazardous chemical fire in the history of Canada, and she was a strong advocate for helping firefighters and helping the community," Watson said.

Brenda Smith, president of local 16506 of the United Steelworkers in Hamilton, said Horwath is "for the people, for the workers of the community, and we need that right now."

Horwath is running against Peter Tabuns, the former head of Greenpeace Canada, 57, party veteran Gilles Bisson, 51, and former East York mayor Michael Prue, 60.

All four candidates say they will work on rebuilding the party leading up to the next provincial election in 2011, and show Ontario voters the NDP can tackle an economic downturn.

Some observers question whether people in Ontario would trust the NDP to lead the province again, after former premier Bob Rae, now a contender for the federal Liberal leadership, led to province to a massive deficit in the early 90s.

Horwath shrugged off those concerns.

"Bob Rae is a Liberal now," she said. "He is long shaken off."

Hampton has been party leader since 1996 and will step down in March at a leadership convention in Hamilton.

The candidates will have their first official debate Saturday in Toronto, and have until Dec. 31 to register for the leadership.