Amid the quips about “Doogie Howser, MPP,” a 19-year-old Progressive Conservative candidate is being taken very seriously at Queen’s Park.

Sam Oosterhoff, a first-year student at Brock University, jolted the Progressive Conservatives over the weekend by defeating PC Party president Rick Dykstra for the Niagara West-Glanbrook nomination.

He will carry the Conservative banner in the Nov. 17 byelection triggered by the retirement of former PC leader Tim Hudak, who was first elected two years before Oosterhoff was born.

Both the Liberals and the New Democrats privately admit it will be difficult to beat the teen Tory.

While they insist Liberal lawyer Vicky Ringuette and NDP retired police officer Mike Thomas are strong candidates, they concede Niagara West-Glanbrook is a PC stronghold.

Oosterhoff — who has ignored requests for media interviews since telling the Star on Sunday he was “really busy” and promised to be in touch on Monday — left it to PC Leader Patrick Brown to speak for him on Tuesday.

Brown, who is close to Dykstra though he remained neutral in the nomination contest, insisted his new social conservative candidate wouldn’t undermine the Tories’ shift to the political centre.

“Sam has told me he absolutely supports the direction I’m taking the party and he’s excited to be part of the new, modern inclusive PC Party,” said the Tory chief, who recently broke with social conservatives over his support for the modernized sex-education curriculum, same-sex marriage, and abortion rights.

“He has told me unequivocally he is enthusiastic about the direction I’m taking the party.”

The PC leader said Oosterhoff’s toppling of Dykstra was “absolutely not” a case of social conservatives hijacking the Tories.

“It’s healthy to have open, big, transparent, democratic nominations — it rewards work ethic and hustle,” he said.

Brown, who was elected as a Barrie city councillor at 22 while he was at law school, said he hoped Oosterhoff continues his political science studies if he becomes an MPP.

“That’s a personal decision, but, yeah, I think that would be appropriate,” he said, noting other politicians have managed to juggle schooling and their public service.

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“If you want something done, ask a busy person.”

Because Oosterhoff would be the youngest MPP in Ontario history — eclipsing Reid Scott, who was 21 when elected in 1948 — that has prompted wags to liken him to Doogie Howser, MD, the title character from the 1990s sit-com about a teen genius doctor.