 The by-election was called to fill the seat vacated by Progressive Conservative Member of Provincial Parliament Laurie Scott, who quit so that PC leader John Tory could seek a seat in the legislature.Rick Johnson, who ran for the Ontario Liberal Party in 2007 after he resigned as president of the Ontario Public School Boards' Association to run against Ms. Scott in 2007 because he was opposed to Mr. Tory's controversial promise to extend public funding to religious schools, is the Liberal candidate for the by-election.The Liberal riding association voted unanimously to support Johnson.