February 14, 2025
Toronto – Cooperate for Canada (C4C) is pleased to announce that NDP candidate Natasha Doyle-Merrick has withdrawn her candidacy in the riding of Eglinton-Lawrence, before the withdrawal deadline.
Doyle-Merrick made it clear that this was a difficult decision, but she realized that the race was a “two-party contest” between the Conservatives and the Liberals. She did not want to split the anti-Ford vote.
“C4C congratulates Doyle-Merrick for putting her riding and the province before her party,” said Barbara Schumacher, Cooperate for Canada. “It was a true act of love for her community just before Valentine’s Day. We are very glad that she has realized the harm that progressive vote-splitting does when it helps the Conservatives win.”
The group Not One Seat (NOS), which supports electoral cooperation across Toronto in partnership with C4C, will be awarding Doyle-Merrick a Unity Hero award over social media.
“This is wonderful news,” said Sonal Champsee, Not One Seat, “Our message asking candidates to pull back from their Toronto campaigns when they have no chance of winning and will simply divide the progressive vote is resonating.”
Both groups noted that Doug Ford is looking more vulnerable. They called on other Liberal, NDP, or Green candidates to withdraw unofficially and back the candidate best able to beat the Conservatives.
To learn more about Not One Seat, visit
For more information or to request an interview, please contact:
Barbara Schumacher – 226-753-9861, bschumac@uwaterloo.ca
Marilyn Hay – 226 972 3699, haymarilyn7@gmail.com (Français)
Sonal Champsee – 416-803-9414 media@notoneseat.ca