In My Opinion, Ontario Liberal Interim Leader John Fraser Should Appoint Heino Doessing in Hamilton East–Stoney Creek.

By-elections are different.

I know from experience working on David Hilderley’s campaign in Oxford during the 2023 Federal By-Election.

They are not won by the candidate with the flashiest launch or the longest nomination contest. They are won by preparation, organization, and momentum. With Hamilton East–Stoney Creek preparing for a by-election following Neil Lumsden’s resignation, Interim Ontario Liberal Leader John Fraser has an important decision to make.

In my view, that decision should be simple.

He should appoint Heino Doessing as the Ontario Liberal candidate.

This is not about rewarding loyalty or bypassing democracy for the sake of convenience. Open nominations are an important part of a healthy political party and should remain the norm. But by-elections are unique. They are short campaigns where every day matters. When a candidate has already built an organization, earned the trust of thousands of voters, and proven they can compete, the smartest decision is often to build on that momentum rather than start from scratch.

In the 2025 provincial election, Heino Doessing transformed Hamilton East–Stoney Creek into one of the Ontario Liberal Party’s most competitive opportunities.

He earned more than 12,000 votes and nearly one-third of the vote, finishing just over 4,000 votes behind Progressive Conservative MPP Neil Lumsden. In a riding many assumed would comfortably remain in Progressive Conservative hands, Heino made it a genuine contest.

Those numbers matter.

Campaigns are not built overnight. Every volunteer recruited, every donor inspired, every lawn sign installed, and every conversation at the doorstep creates a foundation for future success. Political parties often make the mistake of treating candidates as interchangeable. They are not.

Strong candidates spend years earning the trust of their communities. When someone demonstrates that they can make a riding competitive, the party should invest in that success instead of resetting the clock.

Hamilton East–Stoney Creek is exactly the kind of riding Ontario Liberals need to win if they hope to return to government. The path to victory begins by building on what already works.

One of the first things people notice about Heino is his work ethic.

Successful campaigns are rarely won by the person with the biggest social media following or the most polished speeches. They are won by candidates who are willing to knock one more door, make one more phone call, attend one more community event, and have one more conversation.

Heino understands that.

One of the comments I heard repeatedly after the 2025 election was that people had actually met him. He was visible. He was accessible. He showed up.

That may sound simple, but it is one of the most underrated qualities in politics.

Volunteers want to work for candidates who work as hard as they do. Voters want representatives who are present in their communities long before election signs go up. Authenticity cannot be manufactured during a campaign. It is earned through consistency, and Heino has demonstrated that consistency.

Politics is ultimately about people, and Heino Doessing has a story that reflects the very best of what Ontario strives to be.

Born and raised in Denmark, Heino’s commitment to public service began long before he arrived in Canada. After serving as a municipal councillor and completing graduate studies in economics, he made the life-changing decision to immigrate to Canada in 2010.

Like so many newcomers, he started over. He built a new life first in Toronto, then in Saskatchewan, before ultimately making Hamilton home.

Today, Hamilton is where Heino and his partner are raising their two sons. It is the community they have chosen to invest in, the place where they have built friendships, volunteered, and put down roots. When Heino speaks about Hamilton’s future, he is not talking about abstract policy. He is talking about the community where he wants his children to grow up.

He has often spoken about wanting his children and their generation to inherit the Ontario that so many of us have been proud to call home. An Ontario where everyone has the opportunity to achieve their dreams, where inclusion is a strength rather than a slogan, and where strong public healthcare and social supports are there when families need them most.

It was that vision that inspired him to carry the Ontario Liberal banner in 2025, and it continues to motivate his commitment to Hamilton East–Stoney Creek.

Professionally, Heino has spent more than a decade working in finance, including with one of Canada’s largest accounting firms and some of the country’s largest pension and private equity funds. Away from work, he has dedicated countless hours to volunteering with organizations across Hamilton, demonstrating that public service is not something he turns on during an election campaign. It is a value that has guided his life for years.

That combination of experience, resilience, and service is difficult to manufacture. It is earned over a lifetime.

People may forget campaign slogans.

They rarely forget someone whose life reflects the values they hope to see in public office.

I first met Heino in 2023 as we marched together in the London Pride Parade.

What struck me was not that he was involved in politics. It was his kindness, his warmth, and the ease with which he connected with the people around him. Throughout the parade he took the time to speak with families, volunteers, and community members, not because he was campaigning, but because that is who he is.

Since then, I have watched him continue to build relationships across Hamilton East–Stoney Creek while remaining committed to both his community and the Ontario Liberal Party.

Politics is often reduced to polling numbers and fundraising totals, but at its heart it is still about human connection.

Heino understands that.

There is a place for competitive nominations.

This is not one of those moments.

By-elections are a sprint, not a marathon. Every week spent organizing a nomination contest is a week that could be spent knocking on doors, recruiting volunteers, fundraising, and speaking with voters.

I know this from experience.

During David Hilderley’s 2023 federal by-election campaign in Oxford, our campaign team spent weeks navigating a nomination process. Those were weeks that could have been spent doing what actually wins elections: introducing ourselves to voters, building relationships in the community, identifying supporters, and creating the broad coalition required to win.

That experience reinforced an important lesson about campaigns. Time is one of the most valuable resources any candidate has. Every day matters, especially in a by-election.

The Ontario Liberal Party already has a candidate who has demonstrated he can organize a strong campaign, inspire volunteers, and significantly grow Liberal support in Hamilton East–Stoney Creek.

There is no strategic advantage in starting over.

One of the biggest mistakes political parties make is confusing democracy with indecision. When a candidate has already built the organization, earned the confidence of voters, and proven they can compete, leadership should have the confidence to say, “Let’s finish what we started.”

The purpose of a nomination process is to identify the strongest candidate. In Hamilton East–Stoney Creek, that work has already been done. The party has a candidate who has proven he can compete, a community that already knows him, and a foundation ready to build upon.

John Fraser has an opportunity to demonstrate that rebuilding the Ontario Liberal Party means recognizing people who have already shown they can deliver results.

Appointing Heino Doessing would send a clear message that hard work matters, strong campaigns are recognized, and candidates who earn the confidence of their communities will earn the confidence of the party.

Hamilton East–Stoney Creek does not need another search for a candidate.

It already has one.

Heino Doessing has laid the groundwork for victory. He has a proven record of public service, a compelling life story, a tireless work ethic, and a campaign organization that has already demonstrated it can compete.

The Ontario Liberal Party should not waste that momentum.

John Fraser has the opportunity to show that the party rewards results and invests in candidates who have earned the trust of their communities.

He should appoint Heino Doessing and let him finish the job.