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OTTAWA — Dalton McGuinty won’t be challenging Justin Trudeau for the federal Liberal leadership.

The Ontario premier has decided to look for challenges outside politics altogether.

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“I made a commitment … both to myself and to some supporters to carefully consider a run for the Liberal leadership for the Liberal Party of Canada,” McGuinty told The Canadian Press.

“I’ve talked it over with family and supporters and I’ve decided not to run.”

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McGuinty has been under mounting pressure to run for the federal party’s top job since he shocked the nation last week by announcing his intention to resign as premier.

Some of his closest advisers have put together a campaign team that would have been ready to go this week had McGuinty decided to take the plunge.

Liberals eager for a heavyweight rival to Trudeau, the prohibitive front-runner, have been urging McGuinty to leap to the federal arena. A source close to the premier said he’s received encouragement from “Bay Street titans, private labour leaders, student and community leaders, particularly by current mayors, former premiers from across the country and two former prime ministers.”