Hamilton councillor Terry Whitehead will seek the Liberal nomination for the Mountain in the next federal election - if the political party gives him the chance.

Whitehead, who had earlier mentioned he was considering a run, now has a live website at electterry.ca that says the veteran councillor is "seeking the Liberal nomination to be your next member of Parliament."

Whitehead, if he wins the nomination, would be going up against his former Hamilton council colleague and current New Democratic Party MP Scott Duvall. Retired Hamilton Tiger-Cat Peter Dyakowski is also seeking the Conservative nomination in the Mountain riding.

But in an interview, Whitehead cautioned he has not received the Liberal party "greenlight" to actually contest the nomination.

The website, he said, is a "tool" to gauge support for his still-theoretical run. Residents of Ward 14 also recently received calls soliciting support for Whitehead's potential bid.

"Certainly I have an interest," he said. "But there is still a process which I have to respect."

The only person with party permission to contest the Mountain riding nomination so far is Shuba Sandill, a local Liberal organizer and former busines owner who teaches at York University. Lawyer Bruno Uggenti and educator Anthony Macaluso have also expressed interest in running, said Mountain riding president Howard Rabb.

Rabb said he expects the Liberal party to finish vetting would-be candidates soon - because a nomination meeting is slated for Feb. 20.

If Whitehead is allowed to contest the nomination and wins, he said he will stay on the job as Ward 14 councillor but take an unpaid "leave of absence" during the election writ period.

Some critics have asked why Whitehead ran in the recent October city election if he was planning a federal campaign. They point to Matthew Green's decision to not run for re-election as Ward 3 councillor because he hoped to run for the federal NDP in the lower city.

Tyler Banham, president of the Ontario wing of the Liberal Party of Canada, also said last weekend he was "surprised" to hear the councillor was planning a run given his recent re-election.

Whitehead said he began considering a run at the behest of local Liberals and friends.

He also pointed to a list of "successful, respected" politicians who ran for higher office while still serving on city council, including provincial NDP leader Andrea Horwath, provincial MPP Donna Skelly and potential opponent Duvall, who currently holds the Mountain riding for the NDP.

mvandongen@thespec.com

905-526-3241 | @Mattatthespec

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- Terry Whitehead considering federal election bid