Political Career
Virgin first sought political office in 2007 in the federal riding of Hamilton Mountain but she later withdrew from the race. She then decided to seek political office in Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, even though she resides outside the riding boundaries.
On July 31, 2007, after using a three member panel interview process, the Ontario Liberal Party announced that Virgin had been acclaimed as the candidate in Hamilton East—Stoney Creek for the 2007 provincial election. The panel consisted of incumbent MPP Jennifer Mossop (who did not seek reelection), a party organizer, and the riding president. The decision to appoint Virgin upset some local Liberal party members but Virgin expressed optimism in being able to reach out to the grassroots. Mossop, the Stoney Creek incumbent MPP, is also a former television journalist.
In the aftermath of Virgin's acclamation as a candidate, she was racially slurred and allegedly misrepresented in the media, with the Hamilton Community News, a weekly newspaper in Hamilton, referring to her as a "tar baby". While the paper issued an apology for its use of the pejorative term, Virgin indicated that the paper should do more than just apologize, suggesting setting up a scholarship, or a program designed to address racism and discrimination.
On election day, Virgin finished second to New Democrat candidate Paul Miller.
Read more about this topic: Nerene Virgin
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