Liberal Rick Johnson says he'll challenge Progressive Conservative Leader John Tory in an upcoming byelection that could see Tory return to the Ontario legislature.
Johnson says he'll seek the Liberal nomination in the central Ontario riding of Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock.
The school board chairman lost to Conservative Laurie Scott in the 2007 election, but pulled in about 30 per cent of the votes.
Scott, who has represented the riding for five years, agreed earlier this month to step aside so Tory could run in a byelection and return to the legislature.
Premier Dalton McGuinty has not yet called the byelection and has up to six months to do so.
Johnson, who lives in the riding, says his campaign will put local issues front and centre.
"We can elect someone who wants to use our community as a stepping stone, and who will begin shopping for his next riding, the day after the byelection," he said in a statement from Lindsay, Ont.
"Or we can elect a truly local representative to work for our community on the side of the government and bring real, positive change to our riding."
Johnson resigned as president of the Ontario Public School Boards' Association to run against Scott in 2007 because he was opposed to Tory's controversial promise to extend public funding to religious schools.
The proposal poisoned the Conservatives' chances of defeating the Liberals, leading them to one of their worst showings ever.
Paul Hough, president of the local Liberal riding association, said the riding executive voted unanimously last week to support Johnson.
A formal nomination meeting will be "forthcoming," he added.
