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Bill Barry withdraws from Tory leadership race

Bill Barry withdraws from Tory leadership race

Corner Brook businessman Bill Barry has taken his name out of the running for Newfoundland and Labrador's PC leadership, virtually ensuring Frank Coleman will become the province's next premier.

"My heart is no longer in this process," Barry said in an emailed statement early Thursday.

He acknowledged he had no success winning endorsements from key party insiders.

"During recent weeks and the announcements by eight cabinet ministers that I could not be considered as a possible choice to lead any of them, calls into question why I would continue," Barry wrote.

"As of now, not a single member of caucus has seen fit to place support in my direction."

Barry, who runs the Barry Group of Companies, was the first to enter the PC leadership race in the wake of Kathy Dunderdale's resignation as premier. Tom Marshall has been serving as premier since then, but has indicated he will retire before the next election.

There had been three contenders for the PC leadership when nominations closed last month.

However, a party committee two weeks ago kicked out Howley councillor Wayne Bennett after deeming some of his Twitter messages to be racist. They also ruled he was undermining the party he wanted to lead by throwing his support behind NDP candidate Sheilagh O'Leary in the Virginia Waters byelection.

More to come