TRURO - Scott Armstrong was in elementary school when he started helping Tories get elected.
Now he is hoping the party will return the favour.
The Truro resident made his intention to seek the Conservative candidacy in Cumberland-Colchester-Musquodoboit Valley official Tuesday in his hometown, surrounded by about 90 supporters.
"At the age of six in 1972, I went door to door in my first federal campaign working for (MP) Robert C. Coates and (Conservative Party Leader) Robert Lorne Stanfield," Armstrong told the crowd.
On election night in '72, many people went to bed believing the country had elected a Truro resident as prime minister only to awake to find Stanfield had lost two seats overnight and thus the election.
Armstrong's father David recalls his son as a young boy attending a Coates rally and always having a keen interest in politics.
"He used to help me in looking after polls and licking the envelopes," the elder Armstrong recalled. "He always had an extremely strong interest in the fact that politics was a way to help people. ... He has been good at whatever he tackles and I am very proud of him."
Jon Stanfield, a great nephew to Robert Stanfield, described Armstrong as the "next great federal Conservative candidate" from the riding. He said many of the same attributes used to describe his great uncle apply to Armstrong.
"Scott's passion for politics will provide him with the foundation to create positive change," Stanfield said. "Scott has been a soldier for the Conservative Party ... it is now his time to lead."
Armstrong, 42, has helped many Tories in central Nova Scotia get elected federally and provincially, including Bill Langille twice in Colchester North.
Langille said there are no better candidates in the riding as Armstrong will bring a great understanding of the issues, a passion for politics and a personal approach to the job.
"He's just a ball of fire," Langille said. "He's energetic, knowledgable, intelligent and organizational skills like you wouldn't believe."
A published report Tuesday said provincial cabinet ministers Karen Casey of Colchester North and Murray Scott of Cumberland South were rumoured to be interested in taking a run at the position.
Casey didn't mince words Tuesday, saying it was "absolutely incorrect" and she would not be challenging Armstrong, who ran her victorious election campaign in 2006.
"I have absolutely never expressed any interest in the federal seat," said Casey, who was at Armstrong's announcement.
