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NDP Leadership Race: Peggy Nash To Join The Race Friday

Peggy Nash To Join NDP Leadership Race
CP File

NDP MP Peggy Nash will become the first women to join the NDP leadership race when she makes her formal announcement Friday.

Nash is currently the party's finance critic. She is confident that if she throws her hat in the ring, she told reporters Wednesday morning, and gives up her critic role that other competent NDP MP can take the reins.

"We have lots of people who could perform lots of different roles in the House and I am looking forward to the next four years with many of my colleagues, we'll have the chance to just show what a strong caucus we have," she said.

Nash, who represents the Toronto riding of Parkdale -- High Park, recently told The Huffington Post, that she did not feel pressure to join the race because she was woman.

But as a high profile NDP MP, Nash was under considerable pressure to join the race. The field is already crowded with six candidates, all of whom are men: former party president Brian Topp, Montreal MP Thomas Mulcair, new MP Romeo Saganash, B.C. MP Nathan Cullen, Ottawa MP Paul Dewar and Nova Scotia businessman Martin Singh. Nova Scotia MP Robert Chisholm and Manitoba MP Nikki Aston are also considering a run.

MP Peggy Nash told Huff Post that money was a factor to consider but more importantly, was whether she though she could actually win.

"I would only do it if I felt I had a serious shot at it," she said, a few weeks ago.

Nash was re-elected this spring. She lost her seat in 2008 to former Liberal leadership hopeful Gerard Kennedy and spent the past two years working for CAW.

Nash's announcement will take place Friday morning at 9:30 a.m. at the Gladstone Hotel on Queen Street West in her Toronto riding.

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