NEW WATERFORD, N.S. -- A popular name from the past is seeking to make a return to politics in Cape Breton.
Eight years after stepping away from the mayor's chair, John Morgan is hoping represent Glace Bay in the legislature, as a member of the New Democratic Party.
Morgan is no stranger to door-knocking during a political campaign, and on Friday he was walking with Kendra Coombes, who is hoping to win the by-election for the NDP in Cape Breton Centre.
"Politics is something has been part of my whole life," said Morgan, who served as mayor of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality from 2000 to 2012. "One of the frustrations I had when I was in municipal government was the decline in population year after year. We saw the infrastructure decline in the region and we knew that the cause of those declines were really provincial government policy."
Morgan might best be known for his decision to take the province to court over equalization funding, but the civil lawsuit and its appeals were dismissed.
News that Morgan hopes to return to politics has generated a lot of positive reaction on social media.
"He has years of experience," Coombes said. "This is a mayor that had over 80 per cent of the vote when he was running and won."
Coombes says a lot of people thought Morgan might return at the municipal level and run for mayor again in October, but instead Morgan has decided to run in his hometown riding of Glace Bay – Dominion -- a seat that is currently held by longtime Liberal MLA Geoff MacLellan.
"People who are born and raised in Cape Breton, everybody has a common view that we should correct the situation that has unfolded here, and try to make the future better than the recent past at least, and politics gives you the opportunity to do that," Morgan said.
It's time for another campaign fight -- for a man who is no stranger to the political ring.
