A member of the Ontario PC’s party executive will challenge Ontario’s youngest MPP Sam Oosterhoff for the party’s 2018 nomination.

But Oosterhoff, who was 19 when he was elected in November, will have PC leader Patrick Brown’s support.

“I’m supporting all our incumbents,” Brown said Thursday after question period.

Oosterhoff has “brought a lot of energy to the job and I expect him to win his nomination,” he said.

In a surprise upset, Oosterhoff defeated both Tony Quirk, the party’s second vice-president, and party president Rick Dykstra to win the PC nomination in Niagara West Glanbrook ahead of the November byelection.

Now Quirk wants a rematch.

While Brown was “maybe a little bit” surprised that Quirk decided to run again, open nominations are “healthy,” he said.

“I have open nominations for every riding. I think democracy is healthy. I think having open, transparent big nominations is a good thing.

“It shouldn’t be you get elected and you’re here for life. There should be checks and balances for everyone.”

In a statement, Oosterhoff said he’s eager to show party members in Niagara West that he “would make the best candidate to carry the PC banner into 2018.”

“I have been hard at work promoting the concerns, values, and priorities of the families and job creators of my constituency,” he said.

“I want to thank my Leader Patrick Brown and my colleagues in caucus for the outpouring of support that they have shown as this nomination challenge arose. They are firmly behind me, and I am looking forward to moving past this and focusing on 2018!”

Oosterhoff, a young social conservative, was supported by the anti-abortion organization Campaign Life Coalition during his first nomination campaign.

Since arriving at Queen’s Park late last year, he’s been named critic for digital government and associate critic for research, innovation and science.

“Sam’s worked hard to get to cultural functions, he’s been passionate on the hydro file, which is something that’s very important to me and he’s been a team player,” said Brown.

“Many of you thought he was going to be here re-visiting social issues and frankly he’s been here talking about hydro and jobs for young people. I said months ago that I think Sam was going to exceed expectations and surprise people and I think he’ll continue to do that.”

Quirk, a Niagara regional councillor who is also socially conservative, could not be reached for comment Thursday.

In an interview Wednesday with QP Briefing, he said it’s his experience that sets him apart.

“Sam comes from a very insular group within the riding, he has no elected experience. He hasn’t really seen the rest of the world, he hasn’t really seen the other sides of issues. So he approaches things with the blind faith of a child, and that’s the problem that you have to take into account when you are someone who attends church – faith is important, blind faith is dangerous,” he said.