The Conservatives won Essex last election by a fairly close margin, with the Liberals and NDP closely splitting the rest of the vote. It's hard to get a clear sense of who has the best chance of beating Watson this time, so we're backing Whelan. She placed second in 2006, and her family has been involved in politics here since back in the days when sugar-beet was king.
If enough concerned voters rally behind Whelan, they can take this riding back from the Conservatives on October 15th. Let us know if you think we're off on our recommendation.
Please keep in mind our recommendations are based on a review of previous outcomes, election prediction sites and the commentary of pundits and constituents. Every riding is unique, and recommendations based on regional polling trends do not necessarily capture that. You are best situated to make the call on who to vote for. The most important thing you can do is talk to your friends and neighbours, assess the local race yourself, and make an informed decision as to who has the best chance of keeping the Conservative out of office. Work together!
Other sources to consider when making your decision:
Please see our suggestions on the "Get Involved" page. For some additional tips on how to encourage voter turn out and support recommended candidates, check out The Department of Culture.
We encourage you to support the recommended candidate, but they have to realise you are doing this because you want action on climate change. Please keep the pressure on over the next two weeks! For information on how host a climate change town hall and for a tips on writing letters to candidates, visit Vote Environment 2008.
This is a tough call, and we don't take encouraging people not to vote Green lightly. Read more here.