Here’s who’s running in London-area ridings as snap election campaign gets rolling [Video]

In Ontario politics, even when the party in power appears to hold a clear advantage, calling a snap election always has the potential to backfire. 

Just ask David Peterson. 

The former London MPP and Liberal premier was riding high in the polls with a strong majority when he called an early election in 1990, just three years into his mandate. At the time it seemed like a sound strategy move. Peterson held a stronger majority than Ford holds now. But instead of securing a stronger mandate, Peterson’s Liberals were cast into opposition by Bob Rae’s upstart NDP losing 59 of their 95 seats in the process. 

Peterson, speaking Monday on CBC’s London Morning, said there might be a lesson in that 1990 result for Ford

“Every person reading the polls said we were going to win, and we didn’t,” Peterson said. Former Ontario premier David Peterson called an early election in 1990, which ended in a surprise loss to Bob …