Tories nominate candidate in rural N.L. riding
Last Updated: Friday, December 16, 2005 | 11:04 AM ET
CBC News
Cynthia Downey, a town councillor in Stephenville Crossing, is a longtime worker on Conservative campaigns.
Matthews has held the riding since 1997.
Although considered a safe Liberal seat, the Conservatives are hoping it can be turned again; after all, Matthews – a cabinet minister in Brian Peckford's provincial government – won the seat first for the Progressive Conservatives.
Matthews, 58, crossed the floor in 1999, and won re-election under the Liberal banner in 2000. In that and subsequent elections, Matthews has won by comfortable margins.
The NDP, which ran second in the riding in 2004 with former union activist Fr. Des McGrath, has not yet named a candidate.
Random-Burin-St. George's covers a long stretch of coastline on southern and southwestern Newfoundland, and includes both the Burin Peninsula in the east and the Stephenville area on the west coast.
